Report: Paramedic Survived IDF Attack on 15 Gazan Aid Workers After Claiming to Be Israeli
Paramedic Asaad al-Nasasra, one of two first responders who survived an incident in which IDF forces shot and killed 15 of their colleagues in southern Gaza's Rafah on March, told the Palestine Red Crescent that he was spared after he addressed the soldiers in Hebrew, saying, "Don't shoot, I'm Israeli," the Guardian reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, Red Crescent spokesperson Nebal Farsakh said the soldiers initially thought al-Nasasra was dead, but when they realized he was alive, a soldier pointed a rifle at his head. After saying he was Israeli, "the soldier got a bit confused," said Farsakh, and Al-Nasasra explained that his mother holds Israeli citizenship.
The Guardian reported that eventually al-Nasasra was told to strip and forced into a ditch. He was blindfolded, but was able to see the wrecked convoy of vehicles they had traveled in, but not the bodies of his colleagues, the report says.
Al-Nasasra was driving one of the two ambulances in the convoy that the soldiers fired on. In his testimony, he said that some of the paramedics with him survived the initial shots fired at them and called for help, but were shot dead.
The other paramedic who survived was released after a few hours and said he had seen al-Nasasra detained by the soldiers. The Israeli army only confirmed that he was being held in Israeli custody a month later, and he was eventually released on April 29 following international pressure.
The Red Crescent said that "He was mistreated, he was subjected to physical attack, tied, beaten, also psychological [torture] and [was] starved" in detention. They also said that he was "isolated for three days and put in a room with very loud music."
In response to an inquiry from The Guardian, the IDF said, "The individual was detained based on intelligence indicating involvement in terrorist activity, and during his detention he was questioned regarding this matter." The army added that after its questioning, al-Nasasra was returned to the Gaza Strip.
The first moments of colleague Asaad Al-Nsasrah’s arrival and reunion with his teammates following his release today, after 37 days in detention by the occupation forces. He had been arrested while performing his humanitarian duty during the massacre of medical teams in the Tel… pic.twitter.com/TzGHbZHeJl
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) April 29, 2025
The IDF's Golani reconnaissance unit was in the Tel al-Sultan district of Rafah, tasked with setting up an ambush on Hamas members attempting to flee under the cover of the civilian population after an evacuation order.
According to the army's investigation published in April, the soldiers from the IDF unit, which was tasked with setting up an ambush on Hamas members attempting to flee under the cover of the civilian population after an evacuation order, fired at the ambulances and the UN vehicle in three separate shooting incidents, believing they were being used by Hamas.
The army concluded that the first two incidents were "due to a misjudgment of the operational situation by the forces," but that the third was carried out in violation of orders.
The army admitted that some of the soldiers involved in the incident gave false testimonies, leading to errors in the IDF Spokesperson Unit's initial statement on the matter, including the claim that the vehicles were driving without lights or prior coordination.
However, the investigation found no evidence "to support claims of execution or that any of the deceased were bound before or after the shooting."
The army also claimed the incidents stemmed from "operational experience that has repeatedly shown Hamas uses medical personnel for terror, including the use of ambulances to transport militants and weapons."
In April, Haaretz revealed that the IDF unit that killed the aid workers had received a report about increased ambulance traffic on the route shortly before the first incident, during which the soldiers fired at the vehicles continuously for three and a half minutes despite attempts by the aid workers to identify themselves.
The deputy commander of the unit, a reserve officer who commanded the IDF force, has since been dismissed.
According to the report, Red Crescent spokesperson Nebal Farsakh said the soldiers initially thought al-Nasasra was dead, but when they realized he was alive, a soldier pointed a rifle at his head. After saying he was Israeli, "the soldier got a bit confused," said Farsakh, and Al-Nasasra explained that his mother holds Israeli citizenship.
The Guardian reported that eventually al-Nasasra was told to strip and forced into a ditch. He was blindfolded, but was able to see the wrecked convoy of vehicles they had traveled in, but not the bodies of his colleagues, the report says.
Al-Nasasra was driving one of the two ambulances in the convoy that the soldiers fired on. In his testimony, he said that some of the paramedics with him survived the initial shots fired at them and called for help, but were shot dead.
The other paramedic who survived was released after a few hours and said he had seen al-Nasasra detained by the soldiers. The Israeli army only confirmed that he was being held in Israeli custody a month later, and he was eventually released on April 29 following international pressure.
The Red Crescent said that "He was mistreated, he was subjected to physical attack, tied, beaten, also psychological [torture] and [was] starved" in detention. They also said that he was "isolated for three days and put in a room with very loud music."
In response to an inquiry from The Guardian, the IDF said, "The individual was detained based on intelligence indicating involvement in terrorist activity, and during his detention he was questioned regarding this matter." The army added that after its questioning, al-Nasasra was returned to the Gaza Strip.
The first moments of colleague Asaad Al-Nsasrah’s arrival and reunion with his teammates following his release today, after 37 days in detention by the occupation forces. He had been arrested while performing his humanitarian duty during the massacre of medical teams in the Tel… pic.twitter.com/TzGHbZHeJl
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) April 29, 2025
The IDF's Golani reconnaissance unit was in the Tel al-Sultan district of Rafah, tasked with setting up an ambush on Hamas members attempting to flee under the cover of the civilian population after an evacuation order.
According to the army's investigation published in April, the soldiers from the IDF unit, which was tasked with setting up an ambush on Hamas members attempting to flee under the cover of the civilian population after an evacuation order, fired at the ambulances and the UN vehicle in three separate shooting incidents, believing they were being used by Hamas.
The army concluded that the first two incidents were "due to a misjudgment of the operational situation by the forces," but that the third was carried out in violation of orders.
The army admitted that some of the soldiers involved in the incident gave false testimonies, leading to errors in the IDF Spokesperson Unit's initial statement on the matter, including the claim that the vehicles were driving without lights or prior coordination.
However, the investigation found no evidence "to support claims of execution or that any of the deceased were bound before or after the shooting."
The army also claimed the incidents stemmed from "operational experience that has repeatedly shown Hamas uses medical personnel for terror, including the use of ambulances to transport militants and weapons."
In April, Haaretz revealed that the IDF unit that killed the aid workers had received a report about increased ambulance traffic on the route shortly before the first incident, during which the soldiers fired at the vehicles continuously for three and a half minutes despite attempts by the aid workers to identify themselves.
The deputy commander of the unit, a reserve officer who commanded the IDF force, has since been dismissed.
