Palestinian paramedic detained by Israeli forces, Red Cross says
Since an Israeli attack that caused the deaths of emergency workers in south Gaza, a Palestinian paramedic has been missing, but the Red Cross has now said the medic is being held in detention in Israel, the BBC via Reuters reported on April 14th.
On March 23rd, the Israeli military acknowledged its forces mishandled an operation, killing 15 emergency workers in southern Gaza. The BBC covered the incident on April 5th, after an attack near Rafah struck a humanitarian convoy. The vehicles included PRCS ambulances, a UN car, and a Gaza Civil Defence fire truck.
On March 30th, eight PRCS medics, six rescue workers, and a UN employee were discovered buried near Rafah. The PRCS has declared the incident as a “full-fledged war crime.” They have accused Israeli forces of “a series of deliberate attacks” that targeted staff and ambulances responding to injured civilians.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), it had “received information” that the medic, Assad al-Nassasra, had been detained in Israel.
The PRCS said Israel’s troops abducted Nassasra by force after the attack and urged Israel to free him swiftly. As of yet, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not confirmed that he has been detained. They noted that “his fate had remained unknown since he was targeted along with other PRCS medics in Rafah.”
According to The Guardian on April 13th, the Red Crescent declared the assault on its staff as a “grave violation of international law.”
In a statement, PRCS has also urged the international community to secure the release of “medic Assad, who was forcibly abducted while carrying out his humanitarian duties.”
BBC via Reuters, The Guardian
