Crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Hamas-led groups on October 7

• Armed groups led by Hamas have committed multiple War crimes and Crimes against humanity During the October 7 attack on the south, civilians were Israel.
• Palestinian fighters have committed war crimes such as summary executions and hostage-taking, as well as crimes against humanity such as murder and wrongful imprisonment.
• Governments with influence over Palestinian armed groups should urge them to urgently release all civilian hostages.

(Jerusalem) – The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and at least four other Palestine The armed group committed multiple war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians during its attack on the south on October 7, 2023 IsraelGovernments with influence over armed groups should press for the immediate release of civilian hostages, an ongoing war crime, and bring perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

The 236-page report “‘I can’t get all the blood off my mind’: Palestinian armed groups’ October 7 attack on Israel” Dozens of serious violations recorded International humanitarian law On October 7, Palestinian armed groups carried out attacks in almost all of the civilian locations. These included war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, hostage-taking, and other serious crimes. Human Rights Watch also examined the role of the various armed groups and their coordination before and during the attacks. Human Rights Watch has discussed this in previous reports. A lot of Serious Irregularities Israeli troops in Gaza since October 7th.

“Human Rights Watch research finds that the October 7 Hamas-led attack was designed to kill civilians and take as many hostages as possible,” Ida SawyerDirector of the Crisis and Conflict Division at Human Rights Watch. “The atrocities of October 7 should spur global action to end all abuses against Israeli and Palestinian civilians.”

Between October 2023 and June 2024, Human Rights Watch interviewed 144 people, including 94 Israelis and foreign citizens who witnessed the October 7 attack, family members of the victims, first responders, and medical experts. Validation analysis More than 280 photos and videos taken during the attack were posted on social media or shared directly with Human Rights Watch.

On the morning of October 7, Palestinian armed groups led by Hamas launched multiple coordinated attacks on civilian residential areas, social events and Israeli military bases in southern Israel bordering the Gaza Strip. The armed groups attacked at least 19 kibbutzim and five moshavs (cooperative communities), the cities of Sderot and Ofakim, two music festivals and a beach party. The fighting lasted all day, sometimes longer.

At many of the attack sites, Palestinian militants shot directly at civilians trying to flee, often at close range, and also at people driving through the area. The attackers threw grenades, fired at shelters, and fired rocket-propelled grenades at homes. They set homes on fire, burned and strangled people, and forced out those they shot or captured. They took dozens of hostages and killed others out of hand.

Nirit Hunwald, a nurse at kibbutz Beri, where 97 civilians were killed, described dragging a member of her rapid response team who had been shot to the kibbutz dental clinic to treat his wound: “There was a trail of blood. I couldn’t get it out of my mind, it was just blood.”

AFP cross-referenced numerous data sources and determined that 815 of the 1,195 people killed on October 7 were civilians. Armed groups took 251 civilians and Israeli security forces hostage and brought them to Gaza. As of July 1, 116 people remained in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 42 of the victims, according to AFP. The bodies of another 35 victims were returned to Israel.

The Qassam Brigades are the armed wing of Hamas, which has ruled the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007. Human Rights Watch identified four other Palestinian armed groups as taking part in the attack based on headscarves worn by fighters indicating their affiliation and statements they posted on social media Telegram channels claiming responsibility for the attack.

Armed groups have repeatedly violated Laws of War These acts constitute war crimes and include attacks against civilians and civilian objects, the intentional killing of detainees, cruel and other inhuman treatment, crimes involving sexual and gender-based violence, hostage-taking, mutilation and destruction of bodies, the use of human shields, and looting and pillaging.

The massive attack targeted civilians. The killing of civilians and the taking of hostages were the core objectives of the planned attack, not an afterthought, a failed plan, or an isolated act. Human Rights Watch concluded that the systematic killing of civilians and the taking of hostages were crimes against humanity.

Human Rights Watch said other potential crimes against humanity need further investigation, including persecution of any identifiable group on racial, national, ethnic, or religious grounds; rape or other sexual violence of equal severity; and extermination, if the mass killings are intended to “destroy” parts of a population. These crimes would constitute crimes against humanity if they were part of an attack against a civilian population and were pursuant to a policy to organize such attacks.

Hamas authorities Response In response to questions from Human Rights Watch, the group said its forces were instructed not to attack civilians and to abide by international human rights and humanitarian law. In many cases, Human Rights Watch’s investigation found the opposite to be true.

Survivor accounts, as well as verified photos and videos, show that from the moment the attack began, Palestinian fighters sought out civilians at the scene of the attack and killed them, suggesting that the deliberate killing and hostage-taking of civilians was planned and highly coordinated.

A few days after the attack, Israeli authorities Cutting off essential services To the people of Gaza and Blocked this Entrance Except for a little fuel. Humanitarian aidin total Collective punishment This is a war crime that exacerbates the impact of Israel’s 17-year illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip and its crimes Apartheid and persecution Targeting Palestinians.

Israeli troops immediately began to intense antenna bombardment Then a ground attack was launched. Ongoing.According to statistics, more than 37,900 Palestinians were killed between October 7 and July 1, most of them civilians. Gaza Ministry of Health. The Israeli army razed much of Gaza to the ground and exiled the vast majority of the population. Displaced and in danger.

All parties to the armed conflict between Gaza and Israel should fully comply with international humanitarian law. Palestinian armed groups in Gaza should immediately and unconditionally release civilians they have abducted, take appropriate disciplinary measures against members who have committed war crimes, and transfer all those facing arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the Court.

“Atrocities cannot excuse atrocities,” Sawyer said. “It is critical to stop the endless cycle of abuse in Israel and Palestine that the root causes be addressed and those who commit serious crimes be held accountable. This is in the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis.”