A recent report by a global human rights group has accused Hamas-led armed groups of committing war crimes during an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. The report, released by Human Rights Watch, alleges that the Palestinian fighters engaged in acts that met the international legal definition for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The report highlighted that five different Palestinian armed groups, primarily led by Hamas’ Qassam Brigades, were involved in the attack. The groups were accused of killing approximately 1,200 people, kidnapping over 250 individuals, and committing various atrocities such as torture, taking hostages, looting, and engaging in sexual and gender-based violence.
