Missing Gaza Paramedic Detained in Israel, Red Cross Reports

Assad al-Nassasra, a Palestinian paramedic who had been missing since a deadly attack on a rescue convoy in southern Gaza three weeks ago, is being held in Israeli detention, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reported.

The attack, which occurred on March 23 near Rafah, left 15 emergency workers dead and has drawn widespread condemnation.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), where al-Nassasra worked for 16 years, described his detention as a "forcible abduction" by Israeli forces and called for his immediate release.

“We call on the international community to pressure the occupation authorities to immediately release our colleague, medic Assad, who was forcibly abducted while carrying out his humanitarian duties,” the PRCS said in a statement. Al-Nassasra, a father of six from Rafah, had been unaccounted for since the attack.

The March 23 incident involved a rescue convoy responding to casualties from earlier Israeli airstrikes. According to reports, Israeli forces opened fire on the convoy, killing eight PRCS medics, six Civil Defense first responders, and a United Nations staff member. Their bodies were discovered days later in shallow graves near the site of the attack.

Initial statements from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that troops fired on “suspicious vehicles” traveling without emergency lights. However, video footage retrieved from the mobile phone of one of the slain medics contradicted this account, showing that the ambulances were using emergency lights at the time.

Forensic audio analysis commissioned by BBC Verify revealed that Israeli troops fired over 100 rounds during the assault, with some shots taken from as close as 12 meters (39 feet).

The IDF later revised its narrative, acknowledging errors in its initial account but maintaining that six of those killed were affiliated with Hamas. No evidence has been provided to support this claim, and both the PRCS and surviving paramedics have rejected it.

The ICRC informed al-Nassasra’s family and the PRCS about his detention but noted that it has not been granted access to visit him or any other Palestinian detainees held by Israel since October 7, 2023.

“As per standard practice, we informed the families immediately,” said Hisham Mhana, an ICRC spokesperson in Gaza. “However, we have not been permitted to visit Mr. al-Nassasra or confirm details about his condition.”

The PRCS has labeled the attack on its medics a “full-fledged war crime” and demanded an independent international investigation. The organization also highlighted what it described as a series of deliberate attacks on its staff and ambulances during ongoing hostilities in Gaza.

The incident occurred amid Israel’s military campaign against Hamas following an unprecedented cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken in Israel.

Since then, more than 50,940 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

International scrutiny has intensified over alleged war crimes committed during the conflict. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.

The PRCS continues to urge global leaders and human rights organizations to intervene on behalf of al-Nassasra and other detained humanitarian workers.

“This is not just about Assad al-Nassasra,” said Nebal Farsakh, a PRCS spokesperson. “It is about ensuring accountability for actions that violate international humanitarian law and protecting those who risk their lives to save others.”