The Palestine Red Crescent Society shared photos of Assad al-Nsasrah being checked at Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis after he was freed. CNN
A Palestinian medic detained during an Israeli military attack on an emergency convoy has been released. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) confirmed on Tuesday that Assad Al-Nsasrah was freed after being held for 37 days. Al-Nsasrah had gone missing following the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attack on March 23, 2025, in Gaza.
On that day, the IDF targeted a convoy of emergency vehicles in southern Gaza. Al-Nsasrah was part of a crew that had been searching for a missing PRCS ambulance in Rafah, a town in southern Gaza. The search team later discovered that the missing ambulance had also been hit by the IDF.
The attack killed 15 people, including 8 PRCS medics and a UN worker from Bulgaria. The emergency vehicles, clearly marked with the PRCS emblem, were hit by gunfire while they were on duty. The IDF had opened fire on the convoy with heavy gunfire, even though the vehicles were marked as emergency response vehicles.
In the days following the attack, the IDF buried the bodies of the victims in a mass grave. The vehicles that had been attacked were also buried along with the bodies. A PRCS medic, Munther Abed, who was in the ambulance at the time of the attack, witnessed the incident. He described seeing bulldozers dig a large pit to bury the bodies and vehicles. The victims were still wearing their uniforms with the PRCS insignia and blue latex gloves, a sign that they were on duty at the time of the attack.
For three weeks, the PRCS did not know what had happened to Al-Nsasrah. His fate remained unclear until it was confirmed that he had been detained by the IDF. On Tuesday, the PRCS shared a video showing Al-Nsasrah being reunited with his colleagues. In the video, he wipes away tears as he embraces them. The PRCS wrote on social media that Al-Nsasrah had been released from detention after 37 days, and he arrived at a hospital in poor health. He was immediately given medical attention.
The IDF initially claimed that some of the vehicles in the convoy were moving suspiciously and that some of the victims were members of Hamas. However, the IDF later admitted that "professional failures" had led to the attack. They explained that soldiers opened fire on what they believed was a "tangible threat" in what they called an "operational misunderstanding."
Despite the IDF's claims, videos and photos clearly showed that the convoy consisted of marked ambulances with flashing lights, and aid organizations denied that any Hamas militants were present. The IDF later expressed regret for the harm caused to innocent civilians, though it did not provide details on the exact reasons for the attack.
Al-Nsasrah’s release has brought relief to his colleagues, but the tragic loss of life during the attack still remains a painful memory for many.
