Human rights group Amnesty International has accused Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for the first time of crimes against humanity during and after the 7 October, 2023 attack on Israel that led to the war in Gaza.
"Palestinian armed groups committed violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes and crimes against humanity during their attacks in southern Israel that started on 7 October, 2023," the human rights watchdog said in a 173-page report.
It said that the mass killing of civilians that day amounted to "the crime against humanity of extermination".
Amnesty also cited the seizure and mistreatment of hostages by Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, noting that this was done "as part of an explicitly stated plan explained by the leadership of Hamas and of other Palestinian armed groups".
Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, and 251 people were taken hostage that day, 44 of whom were dead.
Of the 207 hostages taken alive, 41 died or were killed in captivity. At the time of writing, all hostages have been returned as part of a ceasefire in Gaza except for the body of one Israeli officer.
Israel awaits return of last hostage remains from Gaza
Hamas 'chiefly responsible'
Among the acts listed as crimes against humanity by Amnesty were murder, extermination, imprisonment, torture, enforced disappearance, rape and "other forms of sexual violence".
For the latter crimes, it said that it was not able to interview survivors except for one case, and therefore could not offer a conclusion on the scope or scale of sexual violence.
Hamas, including its armed wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, was deemed “chiefly responsible” for the crimes. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades and “unaffiliated Palestinian civilians” bore lesser responsibility.
Amnesty has previously accused Hamas and other groups of committing war crimes, which are serious violations of international law against civilians and combatants during armed conflict..
France points to Netanyahu immunity from ICC war crimes warrant
In May 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for then-Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, armed wing head Mohammed Deif, and Yahya Sinwar, who was widely seen as the mastermind of the 7 October attacks.
The ICC withdrew the warrants after the trio were killed by Israel later that year. A separate warrant remains active for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Amnesty accuses Israel of 'live-streamed genocide' in Gaza
In December 2024, Amnesty accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza during its war with Hamas – an allegation Israel has rejected as "entirely false" and "fabricated".
Amnesty then warned last month that Israel was "still committing genocide", despite a ceasefire which came into effect on 10 October.
Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed at least 70,369 people, according to the territory's health ministry, figures considered reliable by the United Nations.
(with newswires)
