France's Martin Fourcade, German biathlon relay team receive gold medals in reallocation ceremony

ANTERSELVA, Italy (AP) — Sixteen years after finishing the biathlon 15-kilometer mass start race at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Martin Fourcade was awarded his gold medal for the race on Sunday, while Slovak biathlete Pavol Hurajt received his silver and the bronze was given to Christoph Sumann of Austria during a medal reallocation ceremony at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena at the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

And 12 years after competing in the 2014 Sochi Games, the German relay team of Erik Lesser, Daniel Boehm, Arnd Peiffer and Simon Schempp received their gold medals. The Austria team of Sumann, Daniel Mesotitsch, Simon Eder and Dominik Landertinger were awarded silver.

The bronze went to the Norwegian relay team of Tarjei Boe, Johannes Thingnes Boe, Ole Einar Bjorndalen and Emil Hegle Svendsen.

Athletes from the 2010 Vancouver Games and the 2014 Sochi Olympics received new medals after all Russian biathlete Evgeny Ustyugov's competitive results were disqualified from 2010 to 2014, “due to anti-doping rule violations based on abnormalities in his Athlete Biological Passport and evidence from the Moscow Laboratory Information Management System,” the International Biathlon Union said in a news release.

The ceremony took place between the men’s and women’s pursuit races in front of a crowd of about 20,000 fans.

Fourcade said he was thrilled to be back in Anterselva to receive a long-overdue medal.

“It was my first podium at the time, my first medal, and it already felt like gold," he said. “Today, being able to celebrate it, both in an Olympic atmosphere and in one of the most iconic biathlon venues is also a special thing, considering the message this medal sends for the fight for clean sport, for justice being done, even if sometimes it takes too long.”

Germany's Peiffer, after receiving his gold, said it was a great feeling to be back with the team.

“We had great times together, and now finally, we are back on the podium,” he said. “It’s kind of weird because it’s a long time since we have been on a podium together. We are very grateful that we got the gold medal now, and I think we deserved it, because we were the best clean team on that day.”

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Germany's Erik Lesser, Daniel Boehm, Arnd Peiffer and Simon Schempp, gold medalists for the men's 4x7.5-kilometer biathlon relay race from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics celebrate during a reallocation medals ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Germany's Erik Lesser, Daniel Boehm, Arnd Peiffer and Simon Schempp, back, pose with the gold medal for the men's 4x7.5-kilometer biathlon relay race from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics with Austria's Christoph Sumann, Daniel Mesotitsch, Simon Eder and Dominik Landertinger, silver medalists, and Norway's Tarjei Boe, Johannes Thingnes Boe, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Emil Hegle Svendsen, bronze medalists, front right, during a reallocation medals ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Martin Fourcade, of France, center, poses with the gold medal for the men's 15-kilometer mass start biathlon race from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics with silver medalist Pavol Hurajt, of Slovakia, left, and bronze medalist Christoph Sumann, of Austria, during a reallocation medals ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Martin Fourcade, of France, center, poses with the gold medal for the men's 15-kilometer mass start biathlon race from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics with silver medalist Pavol Hurajt, of Slovakia, left, and bronze medalist Christoph Sumann, of Austria, during a reallocation medals ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Martin Fourcade, of France, center, poses with the gold medal for the men's 15-kilometer mass start biathlon race from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics with Pavol Hurajt, of Slovakia, left, and Christoph Sumann, of Austria, during a reallocation medals ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

CAIRO (AP) — One of Gaza’s last functioning large hospitals condemned the move by an international organization to pull out of operations over concerns about armed men, claiming on Sunday that the hospital had installed civil police for security. The move comes as at least 10 Palestinians were killed in clashes with the Israeli military in Gaza.

Doctors Without Borders, also known by its acronym MSF, said in a statement Saturday that all its noncritical medical operations at Nasser Hospital were suspended due to security breaches that posed “serious” threats to its teams and patients. MSF said there had been an increase in patients and staff seeing armed men in parts of the compound since the U.S.-brokered October ceasefire was reached.

Nasser Hospital said Sunday that the increase in armed men was due to a civilian police presence aimed at protecting patients and staff and said MSF's “allegations are factually incorrect, irresponsible, and pose a serious risk to a protected civilian medical facility.”

Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis is one of the territory’s few functioning hospitals. Hundreds of patients and war-wounded have been treated there daily, and the facility was a hub for Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange for Israeli hostages as part of the current ceasefire deal.

“MSF teams have reported a pattern of unacceptable acts including the presence of armed men, intimidation, arbitrary arrests of patients and a recent situation of suspicion of movement of weapons,” the organization said. The suspension occurred in January but was only recently announced.

Nasser Hospital staff say that in recent months it has been repeatedly attacked by masked, armed men and militias, which is why the presence of an armed civilian police force is crucial. Hamas remains the dominant force in areas not under Israeli control, including in the area where Nasser Hospital is located. But other armed groups have mushroomed across Gaza as a result of the war, including groups backed by Israel’s army in the Israeli-controlled part of the strip.

Throughout the war, which began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has repeatedly struck hospitals, including Nasser, accusing the militant group of operating in or around them. Hamas security men often have been seen inside hospitals, blocking access to some areas.

Some hostages released from Gaza have said they spent time during captivity in a hospital, including Nasser Hospital.

At least 10 Palestinians were killed Sunday by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip, hospital authorities said.

The dead include five men, all in their 20s, who were killed in an Israeli strike in the eastern part of Khan Younis city, according to the Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. The strike hit a group of people in an area close to the Yellow Line which separates Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza, it said.

The Israeli military did not comment on the strike but has said in the past it will attack militants if its troops are threatened, especially near the Yellow Line.

Rami Shaqra said his son, al-Baraa, was among the militants who were securing the area from potential attacks by the Israeli forces or Israeli-backed armed groups, when they were hit by the Israeli military. He said that they were killed by an airstrike.

Associated Press footage from the morgue showed at least two of the men had headbands denoting membership in the Qassam Brigades, the militant arm of Hamas. In northern Gaza, a drone strike hit a group of people in the Falluja area of Jabaliya refugee camp, killing five people, according to the Shifa Hospital.

The Israeli military said it was striking northern Gaza in response to several ceasefire violations near the Yellow Line, including militants attempting to hide in debris and others who attempted to cross the line while armed.

The Oct. 10 U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas. While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire.

Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing 601 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. But it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed.

Meanwhile in Israel, two female Israeli soldiers were rescued from riots that broke out in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak. Footage from the incident shows two young soldiers being hurried away by police from thousands of ultra-Orthodox men running after them and yelling. Many in Israel's ultra-Orthodox community are furious over laws that may force them to serve in the Israeli military, holding frequent protests.

Israeli police said the soldiers were performing a welfare visit as part of their service. At least 12 people were arrested as protesters set police motorcycles on fire, attacked officers, threw trash and overturned a police car, the police said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the attack on the soldiers but blamed an “extremist minority” for the violence.

Roughly 1.3 million ultra-Orthodox Jews make up about 13% of Israel’s population and oppose enlistment because they believe studying full time in religious seminaries is their most important duty. The broad exemptions from mandatory military service have reopened a deep divide in the country and infuriated much of the general public, especially during the two-year war in Gaza.

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Palestinians mourn over the body of Hamas militant Baraa Al-Shaqra, who was killed in an Israeli military strike, during his funeral at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians mourn over the body of Hamas militant Firas al-Najjar, who was killed in an Israeli military strike, during his funeral at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians perform funeral prayers over the bodies of Hamas militants who were killed in an Israeli military strike, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians mourn over the body of Hamas militant Ahmed Al-Bayouk, who was killed in an Israeli military strike, during his funeral at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians mourn over the body of Hamas militant Firas al-Najjar, who was killed in an Israeli military strike, during his funeral at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)