A Palestinian paramedic who has been lacking since an Israeli assault that killed 15 different emergency employees in southern Gaza three weeks in the past is being detained by Israeli authorities, the Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross has stated.
The ICRC confirmed in an announcement that it had “acquired data” that Palestine Pink Crescent Society (PRCS) medic Assad al-Nassasra was being held “in an Israeli place of detention”.
The PRCS stated Mr Nassasra was “forcibly kidnapped” by Israeli troops following the assault and known as for his fast launch.
The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) has not confirmed his detention. A spokesperson stated it was conscious of the declare about his whereabouts.
The our bodies of eight PRCS medics, six Civil Defence first responders and a UN employees member have been discovered buried in shallow graves on the outskirts of Rafah, per week after their convoy got here underneath hearth from Israeli troops there on 23 March.
One different PRCS medic survived and stated he was launched by Israeli forces after being detained for round 15 hours.
The PRCS has stated the incident was a “full-fledged battle crime”, accusing Israeli forces of “a collection of deliberate assaults” on its employees and their ambulances as they answered a name to assist casualties.
It has known as for an impartial worldwide investigation into the incident and for these accountable to be held to account.
Final Monday, the IDF stated a preliminary inquiry indicated troops “opened hearth attributable to a perceived menace following a earlier encounter within the space, and that six of the people killed within the incident have been recognized as Hamas terrorists”, with out giving proof.
The Palestinian Pink Crescent rejected the allegation, as did the opposite surviving paramedic.
The IDF initially stated its troops fired on “suspicious autos” driving in darkness with their headlights and emergency lights off.
But it surely later stated that account was “mistaken” after a video discovered on the cell phone of medic Rifaat Radwan, who was in the identical ambulance as Assad al-Nassasra, confirmed the convoy was utilizing its emergency lights.
On the finish of the video, the ambulances are seen pulled over on the roadside. The sound of gunfire could be then heard simply as Radwan will get out of his ambulance. It continues for greater than 5 minutes and Radwan is heard saying his final prayers, earlier than the voices of Israeli troopers are heard approaching.
Audio evaluation by BBC Confirm of the footage discovered Israeli troops fired greater than 100 occasions in the course of the assault, with some photographs taken from as shut as 12m (39ft) away.
In an announcement launched on Sunday, the PRCS stated: “We now have been knowledgeable by the Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross that PRCS medic Assad al-Nassasra is being held by the Israeli occupation authorities.
“His destiny had remained unknown since he was focused together with different PRCS medics in Rafah.”
It added: “We name on the worldwide neighborhood to strain the occupation authorities to instantly launch our colleague, medic Assad, who was forcibly kidnapped whereas finishing up his humanitarian duties.”
A spokeswoman for the PRCS instructed the New York Instances Mr Nassasra had labored for the PRCS for 16 years, and was married with six kids.
An ICRC spokeswoman stated it had knowledgeable Mr Nassasra’s household and the PRCS after receiving details about his whereabouts.
It famous: “The ICRC has not been granted entry to go to Assad al-Nassasra. The ICRC has not been capable of go to any Palestinian detainees held in Israeli locations of detention since 7 October 2023.”
The Israeli army launched a marketing campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border assault on 7 October 2023, through which about 1,200 individuals have been killed and 251 have been taken hostage.
Greater than 50,940 individuals have been killed in Gaza since then, in response to the territory’s Hamas-run well being ministry.
