Amnesty condemns Palestinian groups for attacking Israeli civilians, abductions

Human rights group Amnesty International has condemned Palestinian armed groups for tactics used in their offensive on southern Israel on Saturday, which has killed at least 1,300 Israelis so far.

The rights group said Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, had engaged in mass killings of civilians, hostage taking and indiscriminate rocket fire.

“Massacring civilians is a war crime and there can be no justification for these reprehensible attacks.” Said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General.

“All civilians who were abducted, including children, must be released immediately.” She added.

Callamard singled out the assault on the Nova music festival, which was held close to Gaza, as particularly egregious.

Amnesty said the attacks must be seen “in the wider context of the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories” but that “nothing justifies war crimes”.