A new report from Amnesty International finds that the Palestinian militant group Hamas committed crimes against humanity during its attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and against hostages it took to Gaza.
The London-based human rights group said its report, published on Wednesday, analyzed patterns of the attack, communications between fighters during the attack and statements from Hamas and the leaders of other armed groups.
Amnesty interviewed 70 people, including survivors and families of victims, forensic experts and medical professionals, visited some attack sites and reviewed more than 350 videos and photographs of attack scenes and of hostages in captivity.
The investigation found that crimes against humanity included murder, extermination, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual abuse and inhumane acts.
“These crimes were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack on a civilian population. The report shows that fighters were ordered to carry out attacks on civilians,” the report said in a statement.
Hamas denies the accusations
In a statement, Hamas denied committing the crimes mentioned in the report and urged Amnesty International to withdraw it.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the report does not cover the full extent of what it called “Hamas’s heinous atrocities.”
About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 people were taken hostage, including children, in the Hamas attack, according to Israeli figures and Amnesty. All but one have since been released, most as part of a ceasefire and some during Israeli military operations.
The attack launched Israel’s war in Gaza, in which more than 70,000 Palestinians were killed. Most of them were civilians. According to Gaza health authorities, parts of the enclave were in ruins and much of the population was homeless.
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