**Palestinian Paramedic Missing for Three Weeks: Israel’s Treatment of Gaza’s Emergency Workers Under Scrutiny**
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has confirmed that Israeli authorities are holding Palestinian paramedic Assad al Nassasra, who went missing three weeks ago after an Israeli attack in Gaza’s southern region killed 15 other emergency workers.
According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), Mr. Nassasra was forcefully abducted by Israeli soldiers while he and his colleagues were responding to a call for help on March 23. The PRCS has demanded his immediate release, calling it a “full-fledged war crime” and accusing Israeli forces of deliberately targeting their staff.
**The Attack That Sparked Outrage**
On March 23, an Israeli attack in Rafah killed eight PRCS medics and six Civil Defence first-responders, as well as a UN employee. Another PRCS medic was held by Israeli forces for 15 hours before being released. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with the PRCS calling for an independent international investigation into the incident.
**Investigation and Reactions**
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initially claimed that their troops had fired on “suspicious” vehicles driving in darkness without their headlights or emergency lights. However, after a mobile phone video emerged showing the convoy using its emergency light, the IDF later claimed that the account was “mistaken”.
An audio analysis by BBC Verify found that Israeli troops fired over 100 shots during the attack, with some shots being fired as close as 12 meters to the ambulances.
**A Call for Accountability**
The PRCS has called on the international community to put pressure on Israel’s occupation authorities to release Mr. Nassasra and hold those responsible for the incident accountable. The ICRC, which is not allowed to visit Palestinians detained in Israeli detention centers since October 2023, has informed Mr. Nassasra’s family and the PRCS of his whereabouts.
**Context and Consequences**
The incident took place during an Israeli military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, which was launched as a response to a cross-border attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages on October 7, 2023. According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 50,940 Palestinians have died in Gaza since then.
The case of Assad al Nassasra has highlighted Israel’s treatment of Gaza’s emergency workers, who are often caught in the crossfire between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants. The incident has sparked renewed calls for accountability and an end to the violence that has ravaged Gaza for months.