A Gaza paramedic for the Palestine Red Crescent Society, who has been missing since an Israeli forces ambush on aid vehicles in late March, is confirmed to be in Israeli custody, according to statements from the Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Sunday.
The ambush resulted in the deaths of 15 rescue and aid workers, whose bodies were reportedly buried in a mass grave, and the destruction of their ambulances, a fire truck, and a United Nations vehicle. These actions have sparked international condemnation and scrutiny.
Asaad al-Nasasra, 47, was reported to have survived the March 23 attack but was detained by Israeli soldiers. Official confirmation of his whereabouts was only provided on Sunday, when the Red Crescent announced that the ICRC had informed them of his detention by Israel.
The ICRC stated that it had received information indicating that Mr. al-Nasasra was being held “in an Israeli place of detention.” In response to inquiries, the Israeli military reiterated its previous statement that it is investigating the incident and will not provide further comments until the investigation is complete.
The Israeli military has provided varying explanations for the attack on the emergency vehicles, initially claiming they were “advancing suspiciously” without lights, a statement contradicted by video evidence. The military first asserted that nine of the deceased were Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives but later revised this claim without evidence, stating that six operatives were killed.
Nebal Farsakh, a spokeswoman for the Red Crescent, indicated that the organization has not received further information regarding Mr. al-Nasasra’s condition or the reasons for his continued detention. Mr. al-Nasasra has been with the Red Crescent for nearly 16 years and is married with six children. He is originally from Rafah, Gaza, but was living in a tent with his family after being displaced during the conflict.
Mr. al-Nasasra was part of a convoy dispatched by the Red Crescent and Gaza’s Civil Defense to locate an earlier ambulance that had gone missing earlier on March 23. Israeli forces had opened fire on that ambulance, resulting in the deaths of two crew members and the detention of a third, Munther Abed, who was later released.
When the rescue convoy arrived to investigate, Israeli soldiers opened fire again, with the barrage lasting approximately five minutes, as documented in video evidence found on the cellphone of a deceased paramedic. Soldiers discovered Mr. al-Nasasra alive and detained him alongside Mr. Abed, who recounted the events in an interview.
Witnesses, including Dr. Saeed al-Bardawil and his 12-year-old son Mohammed, confirmed the account of the paramedics. They reported that Mr. al-Nasasra was stripped, handcuffed, and blindfolded during the detention process.
During their captivity, the paramedics whispered about the fate of their colleagues. The Israeli soldiers questioned them about their identities and appeared to use an unfamiliar device to scan their faces. At one point, Mr. al-Nasasra was taken away, and the other detainees lost contact with him.
In total, Israeli forces killed eight Red Crescent paramedics, six emergency responders from the Civil Defense, and a United Nations worker who was passing by during the attack, according to reports from the Red Crescent and the Civil Defense. The bodies of the deceased were reportedly not recovered for several days.