Israel releases Gaza health worker who survived deadly attack on medics in Rafah

A Palestinian paramedic who survived a deadly Israeli strike on a medical convoy in southern Gaza last month has been released from Israeli detention, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) confirmed on Tuesday.

Assaad al-Nassasra, 47, was one of only two survivors from an Israeli attack on March 23 in Rafah, which killed 15 medics, including eight from PRCS. The group described the incident as a “massacre of medical teams.”

Al-Nassasra, an ambulance driver, had been missing for 37 days following his arrest by Israeli forces during the rescue operation. His release came as part of a group of 10 Palestinian detainees returned to Gaza via the Kissufim checkpoint.

Footage shared by PRCS showed al-Nassasra in tears, embraced by his colleagues in his signature red uniform. He was immediately taken for medical evaluation at a hospital in central Gaza.

“He had been arrested while performing his humanitarian duty during the massacre of medical teams in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah,” PRCS said in a statement.

Al-Nassasra’s colleague, Munther Abed, previously said he saw him being captured, bound and taken away by Israeli forces after the strike. His whereabouts had remained unknown since.

Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on ambulances that were attempting to rescue civilians wounded in an earlier bombardment. PRCS said it lost contact with its team during the incident, and the area was inaccessible for days.

When United Nations and Palestinian officials reached the site a week later, they found bulldozed ambulances and a mass grave containing the bodies of medics and one UN staff member.

A video recovered from a slain medic’s mobile phone showed responders in reflective vests inside marked ambulances before they were shot.

The Israeli military acknowledged a “professional failure” but claimed its code of ethics had not been violated. One soldier was dismissed. PRCS rejected the findings and demanded an independent UN-led investigation.

“This massacre of our team is a tragedy not only for us but for humanitarian work and humanity,” PRCS said.

Al-Nassasra, a father of six, had warned his family that each mission could be his last. His son, Mohamed, said his father last called home before sunset on the night of the attack, saying he was heading to the PRCS base to break his Ramadan fast. The family never heard from him again.

Israel’s onslaught in Gaza, now in its 18th month, has intensified detentions. According to Addameer, a Palestinian prisoner support network, over 9,900 Palestinians remain in Israeli custody, including 400 children. More than 3,400 are held without charge under administrative detention.

Al Jazeera reported that the released detainees, including al-Nassasra, showed signs of severe physical and psychological trauma, with some alleging torture.

Israeli forces have been accused of systematically targeting first responders, humanitarian workers, and journalists in Gaza. The Ministry of Health says at least 52,300 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 118,000 wounded since October 2023.