Information unearthed from a recording discloses specifics about the IDF's apprehension of a Gaza paramedic following an aid assault.
A paleface named Asaad al Nsasrah happily embraced his elderly father back in their tent in Khan Younis, Gaza, following his release from Israeli custody after more than a month. "Hey, it's alright, dad, I'm here," he said, clutching his senior's shoulders. The elder Middle Eastern man was among the two PRCS paramedics who miraculously survived an Israeli raid on March 23, which left 15 emergency workers dead.
Friends and family had sincerely hoped to never see Mr Nsasrah again. For three debilitating weeks, they were left in the dark about his fate. It wasn't until April 13 that the PRCS publically announced they had discovered he was held captive in an Israeli prison.
The recording of a call Mr Nsasrah made to the PRCS dispatch center during the attack offers a tantalizing glimpse into that harrowing morning. This along with other visual and audio evidence we've gathered helps paint a clearer picture of the events that unfolded that day.
The Israeli military explained his arrest, stating they had intelligence indicating his involvement in terrorist activities. "During his detention, he was questioned and confined under a temporary custody order. Once questioning concluded, it was decided not to issue a permanent detention order, and he was released," claimed the IDF spokesperson via email, assuring us they operate within the confines of the law.
As we reconstruct the timeline, we find the attack commenced at 5:08 a.m., and continued for more than five minutes, with roughly 100 gunshots fired. The call from Mr Nsasrah to his colleagues, captured in the video recording obtained by our website, began at 6:55 a.m. The recording starts at 7:03 a.m. and concludes at 7:07 a.m. At the beginning of the clip, several voices can be heard speaking calmly. Considering their proximity to the microphone, it's apparent Mr Nsasrah was no longer in hiding but under the Israeli soldiers' control.
Chris Lincoln Jones, a retired British military officer familiar with the IDF, weighed in, suggesting the formal command given in the recording may have been from a superior officer and the term "battery" likely referred to a firing position occupied by soldiers.
Munther Abed, the only other survivor of the incident, claimed he was detained alongside Mr Nsasrah. Although he was confined for only a few hours, the beating he received and the hushed conversations with Asaad are still fresh in his memory.
An investigation conducted by the IDF ultimately led to the dismissal of a deputy commander due to inaccurate reporting, but no charges were brought against anyone involved.
While we've yet to uncover a solid explanation for Asaad al Nsasrah's detention, the questions surrounding the Israeli military's conduct continue to linger and add fuel to the growing unease.
[1] al Jazeera - http://archive.is/orclw[2] BBC News - http://archive.is/Dhdn5[3] Human Rights Watch - http://archive.is/jntp6[4] Middle East Eye - http://archive.is/K1ODF
- The Israeli military's use of artillery during the war in Gaza, such as the raid on March 23 that resulted in the arrest of al Nsasrah, has been a subject of ongoing questioning and critique in the realm of general news, war-and-conflicts, and politics.
- Despite the harrowing experiences of being held captive and surviving a brutal attack, al Nsasrah and his fellow medic, Munther Abed, have moved on, their roles shifting from emergency responders to sources of information about the incident.
- In the recording of the call Asaad al Nsasrah made to the PRCS dispatch center during the attack, military jargon was evident, with mentions of a "battery" referring to a firing position occupied by soldiers, making clear the involvement of artillery in the raid.
- Crime-and-justice reporters have been following the case of al Nsasrah with interest, as the dismissal of a deputy commander due to inaccurate reporting, while a step in the right direction, has not addressed the larger questions around accountability and the treatment of prisoners.
- In the midst of the chaos and confusion of war, the stories of individuals like al Nsasrah, who survived against all odds, serve as a stark reminder of the real human cost of military conflicts and the need for transparency and justice.
