Israel Confirms Abduction of Paramedic Asaad Al-Nsasra After Rafah Attack

Gaza (Quds News Network)- The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed on Sunday that paramedic Asaad Al-Nasasra is in Israeli custody. His fate had remained unknown since Israeli forces attacked a medical team in Rafah earlier this month.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) informed the Red Crescent of Al-Nasasra’s detention. He was last seen with fellow medics when Israeli forces opened heavy fire on their ambulances. The attack killed eight of his colleagues.

The organization said Israeli forces had opened heavy fire on Al-Nasasra and his team. The attack killed eight paramedics and left Al-Nasasra missing. The International Committee of the Red Cross later confirmed to the Red Crescent that Al-Nsasra is now being held in Israeli custody.

“This is a war crime,” said Nibal Farsakh, spokesperson for the Red Crescent in Gaza. “It was a deliberate attack on humanitarian workers, and not the first of its kind.” She demanded an international investigation and accountability for the assault.

Farsakh pointed to a video recorded by the late paramedic Rifaat Radwan, which exposed the Israeli military’s false narrative. The video showed Red Crescent vehicles moving with emergency lights on and in full compliance with protocol when they were targeted. The footage proved the attack was intentional, despite Israeli claims that the vehicles appeared “suspicious.”

The eight paramedics killed in the attack were: Mustafa Khafaja, Ezzedine Shaat, Saleh Muammar, Rifaat Radwan, Mohammed Bahloul, Ashraf Abu Libda, Mohammed Al-Heila, and Raed Al-Sharif. Their deaths raised the Red Crescent’s death toll in Gaza to 27 since the genocide began on October 7, 2023.

Between March 27 and 30, Palestinian authorities discovered the bodies of 15 first responders buried near Tel Al-Sultan, around 200 meters from where their vehicles were last seen. The Israeli army had denied responsibility, claiming the vehicles had approached “suspiciously” without flashing lights. However, a New York Times investigation revealed video evidence showing clearly marked ambulances with emergency lights active during the attack.

The footage, obtained from the phone of one of the slain medics and shared by a senior UN diplomat, forced the Israeli military to admit the strike. The revelation sparked global outrage, adding to mounting criticism of Israel’s crimes.

The Red Crescent accused Israel of systematically targeting rescue workers and warned that international silence is enabling repeated war crimes. They reiterated their demand for Al-Nsasra’s immediate release and for international protection of medical teams in Gaza.

Since the start of the genocide, Israel has killed or wounded over 167,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. More than 11,000 remain missing. Gaza’s health system has collapsed under a total blockade, while humanitarian pleas continue to be ignored.

The Palestinian Red Crescent says the targeting of emergency teams and the abduction of medics like Asaad Al-Nsasra are part of a broader strategy to destroy humanitarian support in Gaza. They demand global action before more lives are lost.