Human Rights Watch says Hamas committed war crimes in Oct. 7 massacre

An extensive report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), an NGO dedicated to the promotion of human rights, notes that the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and at least four other Palestinian terrorist organizations committed war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians during the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel.

According to the 236-page HRW report, the Palestinian terrorist groups committed dozens of violations of international law, including "attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects; willful killing of people in custody; cruel and other inhumane treatment; crimes involving sexual and gender-based violence; hostage-taking; mutilation and despoiling bodies; use of human shields; and pillage and looting."

The report adds that other possible crimes against humanity have yet to be investigated, such as those related to "persecution against any identifiable group on racial, national, ethnic or religious grounds; rape or other sexual violence of comparable gravity; and extermination, if there was a mass killing calculated to bring about the ‘destruction’ of part of a population."

HRW further rejects Hamas' claims that the terrorists had been instructed not to harm children, women and the elderly in the Oct. 7 massacre. Moreover, the organization refutes that the attack did not target civilians, as the Islamist group has claimed.

HRW based its report, among other sources, on the exhaustive evaluation of 280 photos and videos that were captured by the terrorists' body cameras, cell phones and security cameras.

The report further stated that the organization analyzed material posted on the Telegram channels of the various terrorist groups, in which these organizations claimed responsibility for some attacks committed on Oct. 7. 

The report noted that the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades were the most active terrorist group during the Oct. 7 massacre.