Submission of the Institute for NGO Research: Palestinian Leadership Must be Held Accountable for Gross Human Rights Violations

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On October 7, 2023, thousands of Palestinian terrorists breached the border from Gaza invading Israel, massacred 1200 people, torturing and maiming thousands, including 36 children who were slaughtered in their homes. Several of them were horrifically burned alive, while others were brutally murdered in the presence of their parents, or forced to witness their parents being killed before they were murdered as well. Hamas, and other terrorist groups, also kidnapped more than 200 individuals, of which 30 were children, including a 9-month old baby.

In the over 475 days since, the international community has done very little to secure the release of the hostages. International bodies like UNRWA and the ICRC have ignored the plight of the hostages. Some are facing lawsuits for aiding and abetting Hamas’ international crimes. Humanitarian actors also enabled the kidnappers and murderers, looking the other way, and remaining silent about Hamas exploitation of civilian infrastructure. Around the world, posters featuring the faces of the kidnapped have been defaced and torn down, erasing crimes against Israelis and attempting to sway public opinion away from Israeli victims. Family members of the hostages have faced mental torture and unrelenting, unbearable pain of not knowing the status of their loved ones. Some have even faced harassment while traveling abroad from “Free Palestine” activists.

To date, 87 hostages are still being held by Hamas. The PA must stop its complicity in hostage taking and do more to aid in the release of the hostages, While the PA may claim that they are not responsible for the actions of Hamas in Gaza, the PA state includes the territory of Gaza and therefore they can not shirk their obligations. 

We also call the UN’s attention to the PA’s political warfare campaign against Israel that prioritizes zero-sum campaigns to demonize Israel at the expense of improving the lives of the Palestinian people – notably in the realms of health, economics, and water. The on-going political infighting between the PA and Hamas has also resulted in human rights violations by both the PA and Hamas against Palestinians primarily in Gaza.