Human Rights Watch Report: 'Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes' in the Attacks of October 7 and After

Human Rights Watch has documented multiple war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Hamas and at least four other Palestinian armed groups during the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel in a 236-page report titled 'I Can't Erase the Blood from My Mind.' According to the report, these crimes include murder, hostage-taking, and other violations of international humanitarian law. The organization's investigations indicate that the October 7 attack was designed to kill and take civilians hostage, during which assailants shot at fleeing civilians, threw grenades, set houses on fire, and killed or took many hostage. Aida Sawyer, the crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch, states that the organization's findings show the October 7 attack was aimed at killing civilians and taking as many people hostage as possible, emphasizing that 'the crimes of October 7 should lead to a global call to action to end all abuses against civilians in Israel and Palestine.' This report is based on interviews with 144 witnesses, family members of victims, aid workers, and medical experts, as well as the verification and analysis of 280 photos and videos taken during the attack. On the morning of October 7, Palestinian armed groups led by Hamas carried out multiple coordinated attacks on 19 kibbutzim and 5 moshavim (cooperative communities), the cities of Sderot and Ofakim, two music festivals, and a beach party that lasted almost all day and in some cases longer. The assailants shot directly at civilians fleeing and driving in many of these areas, threw grenades, fired at shelters, set houses on fire, causing burns and suffocation, and captured, took hostage, or killed others. The French news agency AFP referred to multiple intelligence sources to determine that 815 of the 1,195 people killed on October 7 were civilians. Palestinian armed groups also took 251 civilians and Israeli security personnel hostage and brought them to Gaza. The same news agency reports that as of July 10, 116 of these hostages remain in Gaza, of which 42 have been killed, and their bodies have not been returned to Israel, while the bodies of 35 of the killed hostages have returned to Israel. The leadership of this attack was under the command of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades – the military wing of Hamas – and based on the headbands used by the assailants, Human Rights Watch confirmed the involvement of four other Palestinian groups in these attacks. Intentional killing of individuals in custody, cruel and inhuman treatment, crimes related to sexual and gender-based violence, hostage-taking, mutilation and harm to corpses, use of human shields, and looting are among the numerous violations that are considered war crimes under the laws of war. Human Rights Watch has also concluded that the planned killing of civilians and hostage-taking constitutes a crime against humanity, but further investigations are needed for other potential crimes against humanity – such as persecution on racial, national, ethnic, or religious grounds, other sexual violence, and mass killings. Hamas officials have told Human Rights Watch that their forces have been instructed not to target civilians and to comply with international human rights and humanitarian law, but the investigations by Human Rights Watch have shown otherwise. Reports from survivors, along with verified photos and videos, indicate that the intentional killing and hostage-taking of civilians was a coordinated and planned agenda from the moment the attack began. Following these attacks, Israel cut essential services to the residents of Gaza and blocked the entry of fuel and humanitarian aid, which is considered collective punishment and a war crime that exacerbates over 17 years of illegal closure of Gaza by Israel and crimes such as apartheid and the persecution of Palestinians by Israel. Subsequently, Israeli forces began heavy aerial bombardments and then a ground invasion of Gaza, which continues, and according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, more than 37,900 Palestinians, most of whom are civilians, have been killed in these attacks. Israel has turned large parts of Gaza into ruins and displaced most of the population of Gaza, putting them at risk. Aida Sawyer, the crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch, states: 'Crime does not justify crime.' All parties involved must fully comply with international humanitarian law, and Palestinian armed groups must immediately and unconditionally release the civilians taken hostage. Sawyer adds: 'To stop the vicious cycle of abuse in Israel and Palestine, addressing the root causes and prosecuting the perpetrators of these serious crimes is very important. This is in the interest of both Israelis and Palestinians.'