Amnesty International's 173-page report accuses Hamas and allied Palestinian armed groups of committing crimes against humanity during and after the October 7, 2023 attack, calling the mass killing "extermination." Hamas rejected the findings as "lies," while Israel accused Amnesty of bias. The report documents killings, hostage-taking, mistreatment and the withholding of bodies, assigns primary responsibility to Hamas, and calls for further investigation into allegations including sexual violence.
Amnesty Report: Hamas Committed Crimes Against Humanity During and After October 7 Attacks
Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 was the deadliest day in the country's modern history (Aris MESSINIS)(Aris MESSINIS/AFP/AFP)
Amnesty International on Thursday published a 173-page report concluding that Hamas and allied Palestinian armed groups committed crimes against humanity during and after their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The report describes mass killings, hostage-taking, mistreatment of captives and the withholding of bodies, and assigns chief responsibility to Hamas and its armed wing.
"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 wrote in the report.
Mass Killings and Alleged Crimes
Amnesty said the large-scale killing of civilians on October 7 amounted to the crime against humanity of extermination. The group listed a range of acts it determined to be crimes against humanity, including murder, extermination, imprisonment, torture, enforced disappearance, rape and "other forms of sexual violence." The organisation noted, however, that it was able to interview only one survivor of alleged sexual violence and therefore could not determine the full scope or scale of those crimes.
Hostages and Treatment in Captivity
The report details that militants killed 1,221 people during the October 7 assault and took 251 people hostage that day, including 44 who were already dead. Of the 207 hostages taken alive, Amnesty reports that 41 died or were killed in captivity; all but the body of one Israeli officer have since been returned, mostly through a series of ceasefire arrangements. Amnesty says the holding of hostages was carried out as part of an explicitly stated plan by Hamas leadership and other armed groups.
Responsibility and Scope
Amnesty concluded that Hamas and its armed wing were "chiefly responsible" for the crimes it documents. It also attributes lesser degrees of responsibility to allied Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, and some unaffiliated Palestinian civilians.
Reactions
Hamas dismissed the report as "lies," saying it contained "inaccuracies and contradictions" and accusing Amnesty of repeating Israeli government allegations about sexual violence and mistreatment of captives. The group demanded that Amnesty retract the report.
Israel criticised Amnesty for delay and bias. Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein wrote on X that it had taken more than two years for Amnesty to address what Israel calls Hamas's "heinous crimes" and called the organisation "biased."
Legal And Wider Context
The report comes against the backdrop of earlier and ongoing international legal actions. In May 2024 the International Criminal Court applied for arrest warrants for Hamas figures Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammed Deif and Yahya Sinwar; those applications were later withdrawn after the three were killed. The ICC has a still-active arrest warrant issued in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity in the conduct of the war.
Amnesty itself has previously accused Israel of committing genocide in its retaliatory campaign in Gaza — a charge Israel strongly denies. The report cites Gaza health ministry figures, which the United Nations regards as reliable, saying Israel's retaliatory assault has killed at least 70,373 people in Gaza.
Implications
Amnesty's findings add to calls for independent investigations and accountability on all sides. The report underscores the complexity of documenting atrocities in conflict zones and highlights areas where further, impartial inquiry and forensic work are needed to establish full facts, particularly regarding allegations of sexual violence and the treatment of captives.
