The Palestine Red Crescent Society has announced the release of paramedic Assad al-Nassasra, who had been detained by Israeli forces after a violent incident in Gaza that left 15 medics dead. This comes amidst escalating tensions and a critical UN warning regarding humanitarian conditions in the region.
Detained Gaza Medic Released After Deadly Attack Amid Growing Tensions
Detained Gaza Medic Released After Deadly Attack Amid Growing Tensions
Palestinian paramedic Assad al-Nassasra has been freed after 37 days in Israeli detention following a military incident that resulted in the deaths of emergency workers.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has confirmed the release of Assad al-Nassasra, a paramedic who spent 37 days in Israeli detention after the Israeli military's deadly attack that killed 15 emergency workers in southern Gaza last month. Al-Nassasra was reported missing for three weeks before he was located in Israeli custody, as communicated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. His release coincided with reports that nine other detainees were freed at a border crossing from Israel into Gaza.
Although the Israeli military has not issued a statement following al-Nassasra’s release, it did acknowledge holding him during an inquiry into the fatal attack, which they said involved "several professional failures." The Red Crescent condemned the military's findings, suggesting they serve to rationalize what it calls a "war crime."
Previously, eight PRCS paramedics, six members of Gaza's Civil Defence, and one UN employee were killed when their vehicles came under fire during an emergency operation in Rafah on March 23. Their bodies were discovered buried alongside their vehicles a week later. Al-Nassasra was one of the few survivors from this incident, which has sparked outrage over the lack of accountability for the killings.
Initially, Israeli military reported its troops were responding to "suspicious vehicles" but later retracted that statement when evidence surfaced showing the ambulances had their emergency lights activated. A video retrieved from one of the deceased paramedics' phones captured the chaos, revealing that the ambulances were pulled over and that gunfire erupted shortly thereafter.
An internal military inquiry found that the shooting of the 14 medics and Civil Defence personnel was due to an "operational misunderstanding." A senior commander was relieved of his duties as a result of the report's findings, which the PRCS described as attempts to distort the truth regarding attacks on medical missions.
In the broader context, the ongoing conflict has led to significant casualties and destruction throughout Gaza, with over 52,000 Palestinians reportedly killed since hostilities escalated following a cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with widespread shortages of food, medicine, and fuel exacerbated by blocked aid deliveries since early March.
Recent Israeli military actions have left more casualties, including several reported deaths from airstrikes across Gaza City. UN officials have raised serious concerns about the implications of such military tactics, emphasizing that any strategy utilizing starvation or collective punishment against civilians constitutes a war crime. Despite claims of compliance with international law regarding aid, Israel asserts that accusations of shortages are influenced by Hamas' alleged diversion of supplies intended for civilians.
