A Palestinian paramedic who survived a lethal Israeli assault on a bunch of first responders in southern Gaza final month has been launched from Israeli detention, the Palestine Pink Crescent Society (PRCS) says.
Assaad al-Nassasra, an ambulance driver, was amongst at the very least 10 Palestinian detainees who have been launched into the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the PRCS stated.
The company shared footage on social media that confirmed a visibly emotional al-Nassasra, wearing a shiny crimson PRCS jacket, embracing his colleagues after 37 days in Israeli detention.
His precise whereabouts had been unknown after the Israeli navy opened hearth on Palestinian first responders within the Rafah space of southern Gaza on March 23, killing 15 well being staff in an assault that drew widespread outrage and requires an unbiased investigation.
“He had been arrested whereas performing his humanitarian obligation in the course of the bloodbath of medical groups within the Tel Al-Sultan space of Rafah Governorate,” the PRCS stated.
The primary moments of colleague Asaad Al-Nsasrah’s arrival and reunion together with his teammates following his launch as we speak, after 37 days in detention by the occupation forces. He had been arrested whereas performing his humanitarian obligation in the course of the bloodbath of medical groups within the Tel… pic.twitter.com/TzGHbZHeJl
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) April 29, 2025
The PRCS reported final month that Israeli forces opened hearth on the medics, who have been driving in ambulances to help wounded Palestinians on the web site of an earlier Israeli assault.
The company stated it misplaced contact with its workforce and Israeli forces blocked entry to the positioning of the incident.
When United Nations and Palestinian officers have been capable of attain the world every week later, they discovered a mass grave the place bulldozed ambulances and our bodies have been buried.
Eight PRCS staff have been killed together with six Palestinian Civil Defence workforce members and one UN worker, the PRCS stated.
“This bloodbath of our workforce is a tragedy not just for us on the Palestine Pink Crescent Society, but in addition for humanitarian work and humanity,” the company stated in an announcement on March 30.
A video recovered from the cell phone of one of many slain medics confirmed their remaining moments. They have been carrying extremely reflective uniforms and have been inside clearly identifiable rescue autos earlier than they have been shot by Israeli forces.
Amid the worldwide outcry, the Israeli navy introduced it could examine what occurred.
It stated final week that its probe had recognized a sequence of “skilled failures”. The military stated its code of ethics was not violated and one soldier was dismissed.
The PRCS slammed the Israeli navy’s findings and known as for an unbiased and neutral investigation by a UN physique.
Certainly one of two survivors
Al-Nassasra, 47, is certainly one of two individuals who survived the assault.
The opposite survivor, Munther Abed, stated on the time that he had seen al-Nassasra being captured, sure and brought away.
The daddy of six final spoke to his household on the night time of the Israeli assault when he disappeared, telling them he was on his strategy to the PRCS headquarters to interrupt his Ramadan quick together with his colleagues, based on his son Mohamed.
When the household tried to name him about daybreak the following day, he didn’t reply, they usually came upon from the PRCS that no person might attain him or the opposite emergency staff.
Al-Nassasra had all the time warned his household that at any time when he headed out on a mission, he could not make it again, his son stated. However the household tried not to consider that as al-Nassasra continued his work all through Israel’s 18-month battle on Gaza.
His colleague Ibrahim Abu al-Kass additionally informed Al Jazeera that al-Nassasra all the time carried sweets to supply youngsters to encourage them to play someplace protected, not in the course of the street.
Israel has carried out an intensified marketing campaign of arrests in the course of the battle. In response to the Palestinian prisoner assist community Addameer, at the very least 9,900 Palestinians are at the moment being held in Israeli detention services, together with 400 youngsters.
Greater than 3,400 are held with out cost or trial underneath what’s often called “administrative detention”, which will be renewed for six-month durations indefinitely.
Al-Nassasra was launched into Gaza by way of the Kissufim checkpoint together with the ten different detainees earlier than they have been despatched to a hospital in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah for medical checkups.
Reporting from the town, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum stated the launched detainees reported being tortured in “horrific methods” and have been in a nasty bodily and psychological state.
Israeli forces have routinely focused first responders, humanitarian staff and journalists in the course of the Gaza bombardment.
Greater than 52,300 Palestinians have been killed because the battle started on October 7, 2023, whereas at the very least 117,905 have been wounded, based on Gaza’s Ministry of Well being.
