Hamas has dismissed Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) recent allegations of war crimes committed during the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel. The HRW report, released on Wednesday, accuses Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups of numerous crimes against humanity, including summary executions and sexual violence, during the attack.
HRW’s investigation, based on 144 witness interviews and extensive photo and video evidence, claims that Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, along with at least four other groups, executed a well-coordinated assault targeting civilians, resulting in over 1,140 Israeli deaths and 240 captives. The report also details deliberate attacks on civilians, hostage-taking, and the use of human shields among other atrocities.
Hamas has vehemently denied these allegations, condemning the report as “full of lies and blatant bias.” The group demands that HRW retract the report and apologize, accusing the organization of unprofessionalism and bias towards Israel.
“After 285 days of continuous Zionist crimes against our Palestinian people in Gaza, the likes of which modern history has not witnessed, and after the Zionist entity has become labelled by the international community and its courts as a terrorist committing genocide, the Human Rights Watch report comes to echo the lies told by the occupying army,” Hamas stated. They further criticized the HRW report for adopting the Israeli narrative and abandoning a neutral legal position.
The aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attack saw Israel launch a military offensive in Gaza, leading to a devastating toll of over 38,794 Palestinian deaths and 89,364 injuries, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The conflict has now entered its 10th month, with both sides facing accusations of war crimes.
The HRW report calls for a global response to end abuses against civilians in both Israel and Palestine, emphasizing that addressing root causes and holding violators accountable is essential to breaking the cycle of violence. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for leaders on both sides, including Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on various charges of crimes against humanity.
Also read: The Gaza Crisis: the Western media bias
Reported by: Sakkcham Singh Parmaar
Place: New Delhi
Date & Time: 19.07.2024 (9:50 AM)