Gaza, MINA – The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) confirmed on Monday that paramedic Asaad Al-Nassasrah, who had been missing following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah last month, is currently being held by Israeli authorities, Wafa reported.
The confirmation came through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), ending uncertainty surrounding Al-Nassasrah’s whereabouts.
Al-Nassasrah had gone missing after he and his team came under heavy fire during a humanitarian mission in the Al-Hashashin area of Rafah in southern Gaza.
The PRCS revealed that he was forcibly detained while carrying out his medical duties, an act the organization condemned as a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
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In a statement, the PRCS urged the international community to pressure Israel for Al-Nassasrah’s immediate release and accountability for actions against humanitarian workers.
The March 30 attack that led to Al-Nassasrah’s disappearance also resulted in the deaths of eight PRCS paramedics: Mustafa Khafaja, Ezz Al-Deen Shaat, Saleh Muammar, Refaat Radwan, Mohammed Bahloul, Ashraf Abu Labda, Mohammed Al-Heila, and Raed Al-Sharif.
These medics had been responding to casualties from an earlier Israeli strike when they themselves were targeted.
Additionally, six civil defense personnel and one United Nations staff member were also found dead at the scene of the airstrike.
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The PRCS continues to call for international intervention to protect medical and humanitarian teams operating in conflict zones. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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