[MIDDLE EAST] According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a Palestinian paramedic who has been missing since Israeli troops massacred doctors and rescue workers in Gaza last month has been imprisoned in Israel. Assad al-Nsasrah, a Palestinian paramedic, had been missing for weeks following an incident on March 23 in which Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS) and Palestinian civil defense workers were shot as they drove ambulances to rescue injured colleagues in the southern city of Rafah.
The attack on the medics occurred amid escalating tensions in Rafah, where Israeli forces have intensified operations in recent months. Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly raised alarms over the targeting of medical personnel in Gaza, with the World Health Organization (WHO) documenting over 400 attacks on healthcare facilities and workers since the start of the war. The PRCS has reported losing at least 14 staff members since October, highlighting the severe risks faced by first responders in the conflict zone.
The attack by Israeli military murdered 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue personnel, including at least one UN employee. According to the UN, they were purposefully shot "one by one," and their remains, as well as the rescue vehicles, were buried in a sandy trench with a bulldozer in an apparent attempt to conceal the deaths. Witnesses who discovered the remains reported that the workers were still wearing their uniforms, with some having their hands tied.
The deliberate targeting of medical personnel is considered a war crime under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions. Legal experts have pointed to the incident as part of a broader pattern of alleged violations, with human rights groups urging accountability. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an independent probe, stating that the killings may amount to “a war crime or crime against humanity.”
The Red Crescent condemned the attack on its personnel as a "grave violation of international law" and demanded an international investigation.
Nsasrah, 47, of Gaza, who had worked for the Red Crescent for 16 years, was one of the medics in the ambulances caught up in the ambush, and he has not been seen since. In an interview with the Guardian, another survivor, Red Crescent volunteer Munther Abed, 27, said he witnessed Nsasrah being dragged away alive and blindfolded by Israeli officers at the scene of the executions.
Nsasrah’s detention raises concerns over Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees, particularly medical workers. According to Palestinian rights groups, over 4,000 Gazans have been arrested by Israeli forces since October, with many held without charge under administrative detention. The lack of access for humanitarian organizations like the ICRC has further fueled fears of mistreatment and enforced disappearances.
On Sunday, the ICRC stated that it had "received information that the PRCS medic Assad al-Nsasrah has been detained in an Israeli place of detention". The ICRC spokeswoman provided no additional information about Nsasrah's current whereabouts and stated that Israel had denied access to him.
"The ICRC has not been able to visit any Palestinian detainees held in Israeli places of detention since 7 October 2023," a spokeswoman told me. "The ICRC continues to call for access to all places of detention and reiterates publicly and privately that all detainees must always be treated humanely and with dignity."
In a statement, PRCS urged the international community to demand the release of Nsasrah, a father of six, claiming that he was "forcibly abducted while carrying out his humanitarian duties". The Israeli military has no quick reply. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have faced rising criticism for contradictions in their narrative of the attack. They first claimed that troops opened fire on vehicles that were "advancing suspiciously" without headlights or emergency lights.
However, the IDF was forced to backtrack as cell phone footage from a medic who was murdered at the scene showed ambulances plainly emblazoned with the Red Crescent insignia driving with flashing red emergency lights and headlights.
The discrepancy in the IDF’s narrative has drawn sharp criticism from rights organizations, who accuse Israeli forces of systematically obscuring accountability for civilian casualties. Investigations by groups like Amnesty International and B’Tselem have previously documented cases where initial military claims were later contradicted by evidence, raising questions about transparency in military operations.
Abed, the medic who survived the incident, detailed how Israeli forces detained him for several hours after the ambulances were fired upon. He claimed he was fully stripped, beaten again, and grilled about his past before being freed.
The IDF stated that they were re-examining "operational information" to see why the earlier statement had been "mistaken" and that a probe was underway.
They said that a preliminary investigation revealed that "troops opened fire due to a perceived threat after a previous encounter in the area, and that six of the individuals killed in the incident were identified as Hamas terrorists". However, none of those killed in the attack were armed and no proof has yet been presented that any of those killed were Hamas militants.
WhatsApp
Instagram
Threads
