[New findings] An update on this day of mourning

 

Not a moment goes by without my heart aching for every person who has been affected by the tragedy that’s occurring in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. Today marks two years since Hamas and other armed groups attacked and killed around 1,200 people in Southern Israel, more than 800 of them civilians, including 36 children. Families continue to grieve from those horrific events and reel as their loved ones are still being held in captivity. Today also marks two years of horror in Gaza: displacement, destruction of civilian infrastructure, deprivation of food and medicine, and more than 65,000 people killed, including over 18,000 children, and over 200,000 injured, in what Amnesty International has concluded is a genocide. Without a ceasefire, hostages remain in extreme danger while Palestinian civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip live in daily fear and suffering under Israel’s genocide and engineered famine. It is a collective failure of our humanity and our world leaders that there is no end in sight. We will never forget the victims and we will never abandon people who are at risk. We will not rest until this genocide ends, until all hostages are back home, and until unimpeded humanitarian aid is delivered to those in Gaza. Thank you for joining with Amnesty to respond. Your action and generosity have ensured that no violation goes unnoticed and that leaders hear our calls for justice. Over the past 24 months, you’ve helped Amnesty demand a ceasefire, expose war crimes, collect firsthand testimony, and conduct in-depth research like our latest release on the status of Israeli hostages held in the occupied Gaza Strip and the violations committed against them: Amnesty has concluded that Palestinian armed groups committed violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes during the October 7 attacks and are continuing to do so in their ongoing holding and mistreatment of hostages; Of the 47 people still held hostage, only about 20 (all men) are believed to remain alive — they face serious risk of death, torture, and ill-treatment; The hostages have been held in incommunicado conditions and denied any contact with their families; Released hostages have told Amnesty that they were subjected to psychological, physical, and sexual abuse — including forms of violence which amount to torture or other ill-treatment under international law; Family members held hostage have been separated and some children have been kept completely alone, according to testimonies from released hostages.

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And in Gaza, with near impunity, the genocide continues and the Israeli government continues to deny human rights and inflict suffering. Forced starvation continues to worsen as Gaza remains under siege and the food distribution sites of the so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” have become death traps. As one of the only international human rights monitors on the ground in Gaza, Amnesty has spent countless hours gathering evidence and leading comprehensive investigations into the scale of these atrocities. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve brought to light, with your support: 🚨 Landmark reporting concluding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza » 🔎 Evidence of U.S.-made weapons used in Israeli attacks on Palestinians » 💥 Human rights violations by Hamas and other armed groups » 💰 Research on how corporations like Boeing and Lockheed Martin are profiting from and enabling war crimes » Our researchers, including our brave fieldworker in Gaza, have worked tirelessly to document violations over the past 24 months. We know how important our work is to effect change and to secure justice and accountability. The pressure is working and we are seeing real shifts in the U.S. from the increasing support for the Block the Bombs Act to the growing recognition that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. We refuse to look away from Gaza, from the hostages, from Palestinian and Israeli families’ anguish. We choose humanity. Thank you for joining us to defend human rights and save lives,

Paul O’Brien Executive Director Amnesty International USA

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