Rights group petitions High Court to compel IDF to give info on detained Gaza medic

The HaMoked civil rights organization filed a habeas corpus motion on Wednesday to the High Court of Justice against the Israel Defense Forces over the military’s refusal to disclose the whereabouts of Asaad Nasasra, a Palestinian paramedic who survived the March 23 incident in which troops killed 15 rescue workers.

The deaths of the emergency and rescue personnel were widely condemned around the world, with the IDF subsequently dismissing the deputy commander of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit over the attack. An IDF probe concluded that troops did not violate the army’s code of ethics but made “professional errors” and breached protocol when they opened fire on ambulances, fire truck and a UN vehicle.

Nasasra was detained during the incident, but his family has been unable to contact him. HaMoked sent a request to the IDF on behalf of Nasasra’s wife to find out where he was being held.

The IDF told HaMoked in response earlier this week that it had decided to ban Nasasra from meeting with a lawyer until May 7, prompting the organization to file its habeas corpus motion to the High Court.

“This petition concerns the most basic right of a detainee: that his detention and location will be made known,” said Ameeneh Qumbar, an attorney from HaMoked.

“This is also the right of the detainee’s family to know the fate of their loved one. Israeli authorities must immediately inform his family of Mr. Nasasra’s whereabouts, even if he is not allowed to meet with an attorney. However, the circumstances of Mr. Nasasra’s detention raise grave concerns regarding his well-being and he should have immediate access to a lawyer in order to ensure his basic rights.”

????Urgent: We have been informed by the International Committee of the Red Cross that PRCS medic Assad Al-Nsasrah is being held by the Israeli occupation authorities. His fate had remained unknown since he was targeted along with other PRCS medics in #Rafah.
????We call on the… pic.twitter.com/l0oOxujS8G

— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) April 13, 2025

The petition said that reports on the treatment of Gazans in Israeli detention facilities further exacerbated the family’s concern for Nasasra.

“[The testimonies of released detainees] prove that the detention conditions of Gazans in various detention facilities are harsh and even include torture. The concern for the petitioner’s fate grows with time, due to the cruelty of the circumstances of his arrest and the killing of his colleagues before his eyes.”

The IDF did not respond to a request for comment.

The incident in the Tel Sultan neighborhood came five days after Israel restarted intense bombing of Gaza on March 18 and then launched a new ground offensive, shattering a nearly two-month ceasefire in the war with Hamas.

A total of 15 Palestinians were killed in the incident, though six were posthumously identified by the IDF as Hamas operatives, the military said.

Nasasra was discovered by the troops in the morning and taken into questioning.

According to the United Nations, at least 1,060 healthcare workers have been killed in the 18 months since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, during which some 1,200 people were killed, and 251 were taken hostage by terrorists.

The IDF says that Hamas operatives regularly operate from within medical facilities.

Emanuel Fabian contributed reporting.