The Palestine Red Crescent Society has confirmed the release of a Palestinian paramedic who was detained by the Israeli military following an incident in southern Gaza last month, where Israeli forces fatally shot 15 other emergency responders.
Assad al-Nassasra had been unaccounted for over three weeks, until the International Committee of the Red Cross established his whereabouts in Israeli custody.
He is believed to have been among 10 detainees released at an Israeli border crossing with Gaza on Tuesday.
While Israeli officials have not commented publicly on the release, they previously acknowledged detaining Mr Nassasra in a press briefing about an internal investigation into the deadly incident, which highlighted “several professional failures.”
The PRCS criticized the inquiry’s conclusions, characterizing them as an attempt to rationalize what it termed a “war crime.”
The victims included eight PRCS paramedics, six Gaza Civil Defence workers, and a UN staff member from Unrwa, all killed when ambulances, a fire engine, and a UN vehicle were targeted during a mission in Rafah’s Tal al-Sultan area on March 23.
Their bodies were discovered a week later, buried near the destroyed vehicles.
One surviving PRCS paramedic stated he was also detained with Mr Nassasra but later released by Israeli forces.
Initially, the Israeli military claimed it had engaged “suspicious vehicles” moving in darkness without headlights or emergency lights.
However, this account changed after video evidence from a deceased paramedic’s phone indicated the convoy had activated its emergency lights.
The video displays the ambulances stopped at the roadside. Gunfire erupts as Rifaat Radwan, the paramedic filming, leaves his vehicle. The shooting continues for several minutes, during which Radwan is heard reciting prayers before Israeli voices are audible.
On April 20, the Israeli military shared findings from its inquiry, stating that the shootings of the PRCS and Civil Defence workers were the result of “an operational misunderstanding” by reconnaissance troops perceiving an imminent threat.
The report concluded that the separate killing of the Unrwa employee “involved a breach of orders under combat conditions.”
The deputy commander of the unit involved was dismissed over “command responsibility” and for submitting incomplete reports.
The PRCS has denounced the report, describing it as further evidence of what it called Israel’s “systematic strategy” to shield soldiers from accountability.
“This investigation perpetuates unsubstantiated allegations against emergency teams in Gaza to legitimize attacks on medical missions, including those protected by the Geneva Conventions,” the organization stated.
A senior UN humanitarian official in Gaza asserted that ongoing impunity “weakens international law and increases global risks.”
The Israeli campaign against Hamas began after the October 7, 2023, attack, which left around 1,200 dead and 251 taken hostage.
Since then, Gaza’s health ministry, overseen by Hamas, estimates that at least 52,365 people have been killed.
More than 2,270 have reportedly died since Israel resumed military operations on March 18, following a two-month ceasefire aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages.
Palestinian outlets reported on Tuesday at least six fatalities from Israeli air and artillery strikes across Gaza City, including three deaths in the al-Shaaf area.
A further four people were reportedly killed in strikes on makeshift shelters in al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Since March 2, Israel has halted all aid deliveries into Gaza, leading to severe shortages of essential supplies, according to the United Nations.
On Tuesday, the UN’s human rights chief appealed to the international community to “prevent the complete breakdown of vital humanitarian services in Gaza.”
UN rights chief Volker Türk warned that “intentional starvation of civilians as a weapon of war constitutes a war crime, as do broad forms of collective punishment.”
The United Nations has asserted that Israel is required by international law to provide for the population of Gaza, now estimated at 2.1 million people.
Israel maintains it is upholding international law, citing the entry of 25,000 aid trucks during the previous ceasefire, and alleges that Hamas is misappropriating supplies, a claim the group rejects.
Israel has reported striking a Hezbollah missile depot, while Lebanon’s presidency has called for US and French intervention to end the attacks.
The UN agency has issued a warning with the delivery of its last provisions to communal meal kitchens, stating food stocks will soon be exhausted.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly expressed condolences four days following the Pope’s passing.
Previously, Israel denied responsibility for the fatal shooting of a UN worker with tank fire on March 19.
Twenty-one fatalities were reported in two separate attacks in Jabalia, located in northern Gaza.