The Islamist terrorist organization Hamas and four other Palestinian groups targeted civilians in their massacre on October 7, 2023, according to a report by the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Killing and taking hostages of civilians were central goals and “were not a spontaneous decision, a failed plan or an isolated act,” the report said. This contradicts Hamas’s official statement that its members were ordered not to attack civilians. The organization said Wednesday that fighters even tortured and abused them.
“Burnt and suffocated people”
The human rights activists reported coordinated attacks on several cities, two music festivals, a beach party and two military bases. The armed Palestinians often shot at fleeing civilians and shelters at close range, threw grenades and fired rocket-propelled grenades at buildings. “They set houses on fire, burned and suffocated people, and chased others away, killing them or capturing them.”
Interviews, recordings
In its report, HRW also accused the terrorist organizations of mutilating and desecrating the bodies. According to their own statements, they spoke to 144 people between October 2023 and June 2024, including 94 witnesses to the October 7 attack. Footage of the massacre was also evaluated.
Hamas called the report an “Israeli propaganda document” and demanded an apology. The human rights organization also repeatedly accuses the Israeli side of war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Source: Krone
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