On this occasion, Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, declared: “October 7 is a day of mourning for Israelis whose loved ones have been killed or kidnapped, and for the thousands of others who are still far from their homes since the vile attacks carried out by Hamas and other armed groups.
“October 7 also marks the start of a year-long destructive offensive by Israeli forces in Gaza, which has left tens of thousands dead, forcibly displaced 90% of the population and created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. exposing Palestinians in Gaza to the risk of genocide, as indicated by the International Court of Justice.
“The crimes committed by Hamas and other armed groups, which the ICC Prosecutor is investigating as crimes against humanity, are atrocious and completely unjustifiable. A year later, around 100 hostages are still held captive in Gaza. While some of them have been confirmed dead, those who are still alive are at risk of death, torture and other forms of human rights violations. Fears for their safety have been heightened since Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six hostages in August and an Israeli forensic examination concluded they had been shot shortly before being found. Civilian hostages must be released immediately in order to reunite with their families.
“The world must never forget the victims and the anguish of the affected families”
“At the same time, in Gaza, entire families have been wiped out and many people have yet to find the remains of their loved ones, including children, in the rubble of their destroyed homes. Hundreds of families in Gaza continue to
seek information about their loved ones held in Israeli prisons without charge or trial, many of whom have been subjected to torture.
“As the war rages on, with no end in sight, the need to establish a
ceasefire and respect international law and the rights of all victims to truth, justice and reparations, is more pressing than ever. It is a shame and a collective failure of humanity that a year later we are still waiting for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. Such atrocities should never have been committed, let alone allowed to continue.
“This date of October 7 is a strong reminder of the urgent need to address the root causes of the problem, to stop providing weapons to all parties and to put an end to the impunity that the forces have enjoyed for decades Israeli forces, Hamas and other armed groups, who trample international law without fear of the slightest consequence.
“The world must never forget the victims and the anguish of the affected families. Humanity must triumph. Amnesty International calls for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all civilian hostages held captive by Hamas and other armed groups, and of all Palestinians illegally detained by Israel. »
Additional information
Amnesty International has carried out extensive investigations into the crimes committed on and after October 7. She called for Hamas and other armed groups to be held accountable for deliberate killings, kidnappings and indiscriminate attacks, including rocket attacks on Israel. She has repeatedly called for the immediate release of all civilian hostages held captive in Gaza. She also investigated multiple war crimes attributable to Israeli forces, including direct attacks against civilians and civilian objects or indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, as well as other unlawful attacks and collective sanctions against the civilian population. . Amnesty International is calling for a ceasefire and has called on the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to accelerate his investigations into the situation in the State of Palestine.
Human rights violations committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory began well before the October 7 attacks. Amnesty International has investigated and denounced Israel’s system of apartheid, as well as the illegal occupation, which was also the subject of Security Council resolutions.
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