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Human Rights Watch Releases Report on Hamas War Crimes October 7
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On October 7, 2023, Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, along with at least four other Palestinian armed groups, committed multiple war crimes and crimes against humanity against Israelis: c. Hamas fighters were involved in the targeted killing of civilians, hostage-taking, inhumane treatment, sexualized violence, and looting, according to a 236-page report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
"Operation Al-Aqsa Flood," as Hamas dubbed it, took place during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah and left 1,195 people dead, including 815 civilians. Among them were at least 282 women and 36 children.
Palestinian armed groups took 251 people hostage. 116 remained in Gaza as of July 1, 2024, and at least 42 were dead. Another 35 were killed and their bodies returned to Israel.
According to the organization, these attacks were not random or the result of failed plans. The killings and hostage-takings were pre-planned and were the central objectives of the attacks. These actions constitute crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch concluded.
The evidence reviewed by HRW includes witness testimony, statements by Hamas officials, and verified videos and social media content.
The organization believes that the October 7 attack was organized and planned well in advance. Consistent patterns of behavior by fighters during attacks, as well as their weapons, vehicles, and clothing, also indicate a high level of planning.
Some of the civilian casualties on October 7 occurred during exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Palestinian fighters. The IDF wounded or killed some civilians during attacks on Palestinian fighters near the fences separating the Gaza Strip from Israel. In one case, Israeli troops were found to have killed an Israeli citizen who had been taken hostage.
Human Rights Watch is aware of at least two incidents in which Palestinian fighters used civilians as human shields. The use of human shields violates the laws of war and is a war crime, the organization says.
The five Palestinian armed groups that Human Rights Watch identified as involved in the attacks were: the military wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades; the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the al-Quds Brigades; the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the National Resistance Brigades, or Omar al-Qasim Forces; the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades; and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, formerly affiliated with the Fatah political faction.