Human Rights Watch: Hamas Committed Hundreds of War Crimes in Attack on Southern Israel

Human Rights Watch announced in a report that the extremist group Hamas, along with other Palestinian armed groups, committed hundreds of war crimes during the surprise attack on Israel on October 7, which led to the Gaza war. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, and the latest report from Human Rights Watch is one of the most comprehensive international studies on this unprecedented assault by the group on southern Israel. Reports indicate that Hamas reacted 'angrily' to this report, demanding that Human Rights Watch 'withdraw' its report and issue an 'apology.' The report, published on Wednesday, July 18, presents a series of 'crimes' under international law that it claims Hamas and its allies have violated. Belkis Wille, the deputy director of Human Rights Watch, stated at a press conference regarding the number of these crimes: 'It is not possible for us to specify the exact number of cases,' but added, 'It is clear that there were hundreds on that day.' Human Rights Watch states that these crimes include 'deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian targets; the intentional killing of individuals in custody; cruel treatment and other inhumane acts; sexual and gender-based violence; hostage-taking; mutilation and theft of corpses; use of human shields; and looting and pillaging.' The details of this report focus on violations of international humanitarian law, which are primarily established in the Geneva Conventions regarding conduct in wartime. The October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, most of whom were Israeli civilians, according to Israeli statistics and counts by Agence France-Presse. The attackers also took 251 people hostage, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, including the corpses of 42 individuals whom the army claims are dead. Since then, Israel has responded with heavy air, sea, and ground attacks, which, according to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, have killed at least 38,664 people in Gaza, most of whom were also civilians. Although the Islamist group Hamas is recognized as the organizer of the attack, this report also names other armed groups that committed war crimes on October 7, including 'Palestinian Islamic Jihad.' Wille stated, 'In fact, it was not the civilians of Gaza who committed the worst abuses,' adding that attributing these crimes to Gaza civilians was 'a claim that Hamas quickly made to distance itself from these events, and Israel used it to justify its retaliatory operations.' Iranian officials have consistently praised Hamas's assault on civilians in southern Israel, and reports have emerged of Tehran providing financial and military aid to this group. Wille further noted the 'completely organized and coordinated' nature of the attack on cities, kibbutzim, and military bases in southern Israel on October 7. The Human Rights Watch report states: 'In many places of the attack, fighters shot directly at civilians, often from close range, as they fled and at individuals driving vehicles in the area.' The report adds that 'they threw grenades into safe rooms and other shelters and fired at them, as well as attacking homes with rocket launchers. Some homes were set on fire, individuals were burned and suffocated to death, and others were forced to flee, who were then captured or killed.' Human Rights Watch announced: 'Evidence of sexual and gender-based violence by fighters, including forced nakedness and the dissemination of sexual images without consent on social media, has been found.' According to Agence France-Presse, Hamas angrily rejected this report, stating in a statement that 'we reject these fabrications and blatant bias in favor of the occupier, and the lack of professionalism and credibility in the Human Rights Watch report is evident. We demand its withdrawal and an apology.' The latest report from Human Rights Watch only covers the events of October 7 and not the subsequent war. Hamas has stated that the Israeli military response should also be taken into account. Human Rights Watch has announced that it is still investigating the conflicts in the Gaza Strip.