Amnesty International accuses Hamas of crimes against humanity over Oct. 7 attack, Gaza war

Amnesty International has, for the first time, formally accused Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups of committing crimes against humanity during and after the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.

In a detailed 173-page report released on Wednesday, the global human rights organisation said its investigation found that “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.”

Amnesty, which had previously documented alleged war crimes by Hamas, stated that the group went further by “continuing to commit violations and crimes under international law in their holding and mistreatment of hostages and the withholding of bodies seized” during the attack.

The report comes amid ongoing global debate over the conduct of both Hamas and Israel during the conflict, with Amnesty noting that its findings form part of a broader examination of human rights abuses on all sides.