“Resistance” from Gaza: NGOs Justify Hamas Atrocities Against Israeli Civilians

This is a rolling report, originally published on October 8. It will be updated regularly.

On October 7, 2023 (which was the Sabbath and a Jewish holiday), hundreds of Palestinian terrorists poured across the border from Gaza into Israel, slaughtering hundreds of Jews, and torturing, maiming, and kidnapping others. Gaza Palestinians also engaged in public desecration of victims’ bodies. In parallel, thousands of rockets were fired at Israeli population centers, sending millions rushing to shelters.

Every one of these attacks constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian and human rights laws, which should have brought immediate condemnation from the human rights community.

Instead, NGOs that routinely and forcefully condemn Israel blamed the victims, whitewashed the terrorists, and exploited the attacks to repeat the campaign accusing Israel of “apartheid” and other lies. Amnesty International declared, “The Israeli government must refrain from inciting violence and tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, especially around religious sites.” As of October 8 at 4pm (Israel time), Human Rights Watch had not issued a statement, but, in posts on social media (X/Twitter), a senior official referred to the attacks as “resistance to apartheid and oppression” and bashed the United States for its policies toward Israel and in the region.

Save the Children published an anodyne statement, absurdly calling the situation an “escalation in violence between Palestinian armed groups and Israeli forces in Israel and Gaza.” Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) did not condemn Hamas, including the numerous attacks on Israeli first responders and hospitals, but rather accused Israel of having “struck” a hospital and ambulance in Gaza.

In addition, a number of NGOs claiming to promote human rights actually supported the attacks. The US-based Center for Constitutional Rights posted a statement titled “Israeli Colonial Domination Is Necessary Context to Palestinian Resistance.” Masar Badil and Samidoun, two NGOs linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror group, called on people around the world to “support” and “defend” the Palestinian “resistance”; the latter’s branch in Germany distributed candies to celebrate the attacks.

In a joint statement, Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) – PFLP-linked NGOs that are funded by the European Union, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and the United Nations– demonstrated that their claim to promote human rights is a cynical joke. Rather than condemn the Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians, the NGOs claimed that “Palestinian armed groups engaged in an operation in response to escalating Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people” and then devoted their entire statement to Israel’s alleged “revenge and reprisal[s].” (Notably, in the context of the May 2023 conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), PCHR published a statement in which it “affirms the right of the Palestinian people to resist the occupation by all available means, including armed struggle”; following pressure from European donors, PCHR altered the text to read: “to resist the occupation by all legitimate means in accordance with international law.”)

Excerpts of Statements from Global NGOs

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

On October 9, HRW published a press release and accompanying Q&A claiming that “Israeli authorities’ cutting off electricity to Gaza and other punitive measures against Gaza’s civilian population would amount to unlawful collective punishment, which is a war crime. The laws of war apply to all parties to a conflict, irrespective of the lawfulness of their going to war or imbalances of power between the parties. The Israeli government’s systematic oppression in the OPT, coupled with inhumane acts committed against Palestinians as part of a policy to maintain the domination by Jewish Israelis over Palestinians, amount to the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution, as Human Rights Watch previously found.”
Tweets by HRW Program Director Sari Bashi

Sari Bashi, October 7

Tweet by former HRW Executive Director Ken Roth

Ken Roth, October 7

Amnesty International

On October 7, Amnesty published a press release claiming that “The root causes of these repeated cycles of violence must be addressed as a matter of urgency. This requires upholding international law and ending Israel’s 16-year-long illegal blockade on Gaza, and all other aspects of Israel’s system of apartheid imposed on all Palestinians. The Israeli government must refrain from inciting violence and tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, especially around religious sites. Amnesty International calls on the international community to urgently intervene to protect civilians and prevent further suffering. In 2021, the International Criminal Court opened an investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine. Its mandate includes crimes under international law committed by all parties in the current fighting, as well as the crime against humanity of apartheid against Palestinians.”
On October 7, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard published a thread on X (formerly Twitter):

Agnes Callamard, October 7

FIDH

On October 8, FIDH retweeted the statement of Al-Haq, Al Mezan, and PCHR (see below), writing, “#FIDH strongly condemns all acts of violence and vengeance in #Israel and #Palestine. All parties must prioritise the protection of civilians. Urgent action is needed for a cease-fire and addressing the root causes of this latest military escalation.”

Oxfam

On October 7, in a press release published by Oxfam, Acting Country Director in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel Mustafa Tmaizi stated, “Oxfam strongly urges all parties to immediately cease all military offensives and maintain restraint to prevent further escalation of violence that will only harm innocent civilians on both sides. This surge in military escalation underscores the persistent failure of leaders to address the prolonged occupation and Gaza blockade with no meaningful measures taken.”

Save the Children UK

On October 8, Save the Children published a press release claiming that “Reports of Palestinian children being killed and injured in airstrikes and Israeli children being kidnapped and held hostage have exacerbated fears of an unprecedented psychological toll. Save the Children condemns the violence, saying the scale of the attacks in Israel and Gaza is causing damage that would endure long after the immediate crisis.”
On October 7, Save the Children’s Country Director for the occupied Palestinian territory Jason Lee published a statement that, “Following an escalation in violence between Palestinian armed groups and Israeli forces in Israel and Gaza today, our teams and their families are bracing for what comes next. We know from previous experience that children will be terrified. Children have been killed and injured in every major escalation, not to mention suffering from serious mental health impacts—they’ve never emerged unscathed. All parties must show restraint and focus on keeping children and families safe and bringing an end to the fear and suffering they have endured for far too long.”

Norwegian Refugee Council

On October 7, NRC Palestine Country director Ana Povrzenic published a statement affirming that “All parties must adhere to international humanitarian law by refraining from deliberately or indiscriminately targeting civilians. They must abide by the principles of humanitarian law. “The only path towards stability and peace is for the international community to finally address the root causes of the conflict including ending the occupation of Palestinian territory. We are monitoring the humanitarian impact and preparing to support those in need of humanitarian assistance.”

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders)

On October 8, MSF published a statement calling on “all parties to respect the sanctity of medical facilities, vehicles and personnel.” According to MSF medical coordinator in Gaza Darwin Diaz, “Ambulances can’t be used right now because they’re being hit by airstrikes.”
On October 7, MSF tweeted, “Following the escalation between Israel and Gaza, Israeli forces struck the enclave’s Indonesian hospital and an ambulance in front of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. The strikes killed one nurse, one ambulance driver, injured several and damaged an oxygen station…We have been supporting both hospitals since 2021 and 2011 respectively. Health care facilities cannot become targets. We ask all parties to respect health infrastructures, which must remain a sanctuary for people seeking treatment…The scale of this new round of hostilities must not be underestimated, with Palestinian and Israeli authorities reporting massive casualties all over Israel and Gaza.”

Jewish Voice for Peace

On October 8, JVP published a statement claiming that “right now, mainstream media is deliberately sidelining and censoring Palestinian narratives. It’s imperative that we uplift Palestinians as they describe their harrowing reality under Israeli occupation — whether that’s the last 24 hours, or the past 75 years. As the news of violence and loss of life unfolds, we must be clear: this is the direct result of decades of Israeli occupation, apartheid, and colonialism over millions of Palestinians.”
On October 8, JVP hosted a “Power Hour for Gaza,” calling for people to “Channel your anger and devastation into action! …What is happening right now is the direct result of decades of the Israeli government’s occupation, colonization, and apartheid over millions of Palestinians. The only path to that future is an end to the root causes of all violence: Israeli oppression of Palestinians. The bloodshed of today and the past 75 years traces back directly to U.S. complicity in the oppression and horror caused by Israel’s military occupation. The unchecked military funding, diplomatic cover, and billions of dollars of private money flowing from the U.S. enables and empowers Israel’s apartheid regime.”
On October 7, JVP published a press release claiming “The Root of Violence Is Oppression.” According to the press release, “The Israeli government may have just declared war, but its war on Palestinians started over 75 years ago. Israeli apartheid and occupation — and United States complicity in that oppression — are the source of all this violence. Reality is shaped by when you start the clock. For 16 years, the Israeli government has suffocated Palestinians in Gaza under a draconian air, sea and land military blockade, imprisoning and starving two million people and denying them medical aid. The Israeli government routinely massacres Palestinians in Gaza; ten-year-olds who live in Gaza have already been traumatized by seven major bombing campaigns in their short lives. For 75 years, the Israeli government has maintained a military occupation over Palestinians, operating an apartheid regime. Palestinian children are dragged from their beds in pre-dawn raids by Israeli soldiers and held without charge in Israeli military prisons. Palestinians homes are torched by mobs of Israeli settlers, or destroyed by the Israeli army. Entire Palestinian villages are forced to flee, abandoning the homes and orchards and land that were in their family for generations.”

Center for Constitutional Rights

On October 8, following protests in New York, CCR tweeted, “Accusing supporters of Palestinian human rights of support for terrorism is dangerous, tired, and ignores 75 years of Israeli colonization and war crimes.”
On October 7, CCR published a press release claiming “Israeli Colonial Domination Is Necessary Context to Palestinian Resistance.” According to the press release, “The Center for Constitutional Rights stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their decades-long struggle for self-determination and freedom from Israel’s regime of apartheid and prolonged belligerent military occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza. Israel’s brutal 16-year closure of Gaza has suffocated the two million Palestinians imprisoned there, while Israel has repeatedly launched military assaults that have killed thousands of civilians and injured tens of thousands more. Israeli colonization of historic Palestine gives rise to the international legal right of colonized people to resist colonial domination and to pursue national liberation and self-determination. Under international law, armed groups, such as Palestinian resistance fighters, can lawfully carry out attacks on military targets. Israel, with the full support of the United States and much of the international community, has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity with complete impunity, resulting in the profound erosion of international norms and the necessary protections for occupied people and civilians. We echo demands for accountability and reaffirm our commitment to dismantling all forms of colonialism.”

Masar Badil

On October 7, Masar Badil published a press release calling on “organizations and supporters, the masses of our Palestinian people, supporters of the resistance in exile and diaspora, allies from the liberation forces and movements, and solidarity committees with the Palestinian people everywhere, to express their support for the heroic Palestinian resistance, raise the flag of Palestine and the banners of resistance, and organize popular, political and media demonstrations and events to expose the Zionist crimes against our people in occupied Palestine, and to support the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation announced by the Commander-in-Chief of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Brother Mohammed al-Deif.”

Samidoun

On October 8, Samidoun tweeted, “NY @GovKathyHochul is trying to stigmatize and intimidate protesters at NYC rally for justice and liberation in Palestine. Let’s make the numbers as large as possible & send a clear message, from the Governor’s office to Palestine. Times Square/1 pm/Broadwayx42nd.”
On October 7, Samidoun published a press release declaring that the “Resistance Rises toward Revolution, Return and Liberation.” According to the press release, “As the Palestinian resistance confronts occupation forces, it is critical that internationalists everywhere speak out, mobilize and act to confront the U.S.-led imperialist system, including the EU states, Britain and all complicit powers to end their ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people, and to defend the resistance. These crimes are reflected not only in the Balfour Declaration and the $3.8 billion in U.S. military aid to the occupation regime annually, but in the racist assaults on the Palestinian people in exile and diaspora throughout Europe, and especially in Germany, for speaking out and organizing to take up their role in the cause, for their return to Palestine and the liberation of their land.”
On October 7, Samidoun Deutschland tweeted, “Long live the resistance of the Palestinian people. Distributing sweets on Sonnenallee in Berlin to celebrate the victory of the resistance.”
On October 7, Samidoun Deutschland were “handing out sweets and expressing joy for the terrorist attack by Hamas and the murder of Israelis.”

Palestine Solidarity Campaign

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)

On October 8, AMP Education Coordinator Tarek M. Khalil participated in a rally in Washington DC, stating that, “Israel is the occupier, colonizer, and oppressor, Palestinians are the occupied, colonized, and the oppressed. As an American taxpayer, the choice is clear, stand with the oppressed.”

Al-Shabaka

On October 8, Al-Shabaka tweeted, “Al-Shabaka rejects the Israeli Regime’s colonial borders that work to fragment and ultimately erase Palestinian existence. Breaching these boundaries expands the Palestinian imaginary for possibilities of both resistance and collective freedom. We recognize that decolonization is not a metaphor; it is not merely statements or analysis, but an active process that demands the dismantling of colonial power and the reclamation of land. We stand alongside those committed to this effort and to the liberation of Palestinans worldwide.”

United States Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO)

On October 7, USCMO published a press release claiming that “The United States Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their right to freedom from the Israeli occupation. The recent unprovoked and continuous attacks by Israel on Palestinian towns, cities, and refugee camps have resulted in tragic loss of Palestinian lives. We condemn Israel’s targeted and indiscriminate killing of civilians, including innocent children, women, and the elderly, and we denounce the inhumane siege imposed on the nearly 2 million inhabitants of Gaza, a clear violation of international law and an implied declaration of open war on the Palestinians which oblige them to be in constant self-defense.”

World Council of Churches

On October 7, WCC published a press release “appeal[ing] urgently for an immediate cessation of this deadly violence, for Hamas to cease their attacks and ask both parties for de-escalation of the situation…We are deeply concerned about the imminent risks of spiralling conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed groups, and of the inevitably tragic consequences for the people of the region – Israelis and Palestinians alike – following a period of escalating tensions and violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem.”

BDS Movement

On October 8, the BDS Movement published a statement “support[ing] the Palestinian freedom fighters in their struggle against Israeli apartheid. We believe that the heroic actions of Hamas fighters against the occupying forces are reasonable in their quest to liberate their stolen lands. The aggression of the Zionists occupiers has been met with a deserved response – Justified use of armed resistance against the oppressors’ military and civilians. We support the armed resistance of the brave Palestinian fighters. The BDS movement calls on all its supporters to spread this information and continue to support the BDS and the Palestinian people in their efforts.”
On October 7, the BDS Movement published a statement claiming, “Western Complicity in Apartheid Israel’s Brutal Violence Heightens Palestinian Resistance & International Solidarity.” According to the statement, “Israel’s far-right government, the most racist, fundamentalist and fanatic ever, has been ruthlessly escalating its ethnic cleansing, siege, killings, incarceration, and daily humiliation of millions of Indigenous Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The BDS movement strongly condemns the governments of the colonial West for, once again, hypocritically standing with apartheid Israel and duly adopting its deceptive timeline of the current ‘violence’ as if it all began this morning with the powerful armed reaction of the oppressed Palestinians in Gaza.”

CAABU

On October 8, CAABU Director Chris Doyle tweeted, “I share the sympathy for those Israeli civilians killed, yet every time I see these flags being raised after some atrocity, I think of those ignored, forgotten typically with much larger numbers.”

CODEPINK

On October 8, CODEPINK participated in a protest in Washington DC calling on “Biden to stop arming apartheid and impose sanctions on Israel!”
On October 7, CODEPINK co-founder Madea Benjamin tweeted, “The Israeli government can’t keep two million trapped in an open air prison in Gaza and not expect resistance.”

Palestinian NGOs

Al-Haq/Al Mezan/Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) (PFLP linked, Funded by the EU and individual governments)

On October 8, Al Mezan, Al-Haq, and PCHR sent an open letter to the UN Security Council calling for Member States to “Address Root Causes of Palestinian Struggle, and Protect the Palestinian People from Retaliatory Israeli Attacks.” According to the letter, “Member States must consider Israel’s 75-year settler-colonial apartheid regime, 56-year illegal occupation, and 16-year unlawful blockade and closure of the Gaza Strip as the root causes of the Palestinian plight….We once more reiterate our call to the UN Security Council to refer Israel’s continuing acts of aggression, including its illegal occupation of the Gaza Strip for investigation to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.”
On October 8, Al-Haq, Al Mezan, and PCHR published a joint statement calling for “Immediate Action from the International Community to Stop Israel’s Reprisals against Palestinian Civilians.” According to the statement, “On Saturday, 7 October 2023, Palestinian armed groups engaged in an operation in response to escalating Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people…Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) urge the international community to take immediate and urgent action to stop Israel’s revenge and reprisal against Gaza’s civilian population and civilian objects. The latest statements by the Israeli establishment quoted above portend an unprecedented number of killings, with civilians bearing the brunt. Accountability is the key to ending Israeli crimes, with Third States sharing responsibility for its consequences. We call on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to expedite the investigation into the Situation in Palestine with full resources and onsite visits as promised in December 2022. We stress that if no immediate action is taken by the international community to hold Israel accountable for the international crimes committed against the Palestinian people, more civilian casualties will follow, and destruction will continue to take place. To this end, we call upon the UN Security Council, Third States, and UN Member States to immediately intervene with all necessary means to cease Israel’s attacks against the Palestinian people, and to impose sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel. In line with international obligations, the international community must cooperate to bring Israel’s illegal occupation as a continuing act of aggression since 1967 to an end; ensure the dismantling of the occupying administration and the full and unconditional withdrawal of all Israeli occupying forces from the territory, and the dismantling Israel’s apartheid regime.”

Al-Haq

On October 8, Al-Haq published a Twitter thread calling on the UN Security Council to “address root causes & protect the Palestinian people from Israeli attacks,” including “Recognize and condemn Israel’s illegal occupation, settler-colonialism, and #apartheid regime as the root causes underpinning the continuous waves of conflict in the territory” and “Sanction Israel’s illegal occupation, apartheid and acts of aggression through the application of an arms embargo, economic sanctions and countermeasures against Israel.”
On October 7, Al-Haq Legal Researcher and Advocacy Officer Aseel Al-Bajeh tweeted Hamas head Ismail Haniyeh stating, “Leave our land, get out of our faces.’ Haniyeh. It’s Just like that.”

Addameer

On October 9, Addameer published a statement “against the unlawful collective punishments committed by the occupying authorities against Palestinians.” According to the statement, “In light of the ongoing violations committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, the continuous attacks on civilians, in addition to the arbitrary and punitive measures imposed by the new government against Palestinian prisoners, the violations against holy sites, settler attacks on cities and villages, and the continuous siege on the Gaza Strip, and in light of the international community’s decades-long failure to hold the occupation state accountable for its crimes, and in the context of defending the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, the Palestinian resistance led a military attack on the occupied land in response to the ongoing escalation by the occupation….ADDAMEER emphasizes that this escalation is occurring due to the international community’s silence regarding the occupation’s crimes committed over the years, and the absence of any form of accountability for the occupying state, which continues to commit crimes without serious accountability.”
On October 9, Addameer published a statement titled “PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSO’S) CALL FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.” According to the statement, “We urgently request that the international community and United Nations take immediate and effective actions to put significant pressure on Israel occupation to stop its offensive actions in Gaza, ending forcibly displacement of people in the occupied West Bank, protect the lives of civilians, prevent any further loss of life, provide urgent humanitarian assistance to address the consequences of ongoing aggression, and halt the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza….Additionally, we emphasize the need for an immediate cessation of organized attacks on holy sites. We consider the flagrant unconditional support the U.S and European officials are offering Israel occupation while ignoring the plight of the Palestinian people as complicity in Israeli human rights violations and crimes against humanity, including the crime of apartheid. It is the international community’s failure to hold the Israel occupation accountable for its crimes that have led to the current situation.”

Stop the Wall

On October 8, Stop the Wall published a statement claiming that “Israel said it declared war yesterday – but it is waging a daily brutal war against the Palestinian people and has imposed its vicious apartheid regime for every day over the last 75 years. This is why we hold Israel fully responsible for each and every killing over the last days across historic Palestine. This is why the only ethical and effective way forward is to stop Israel, its crimes against the Palestinian people, and international complicity with it now.”

Palestinian Medical Relief Society

On October 8, PMRS published a statement claiming that “Palestinians have been living under occupation for 75 years and military rule since 1967. The international community including the ICC has opened investigations into the serious crimes committed by Israel, including crimes against humanity- Apartheid and Persecution. Palestinians have been subjected to systematic discrimination, repression, ethnic cleansing, and daily human rights abuses. All Palestinians under international law, have the right to protection, and Israel as an occupying power must ensure that protection.”

Miftah

On October 9, MIFTAH tweeted, “Approximately 74,000 displaced Palestinians in #Gaza are taking refuge in @UNRWA schools after Israel bombed their homes. Israel also targeted those UNRWA shelters with aerial bombardment. War crime after war crime. #GazaUnderAttack.”
On October 8, MIFTAH tweeted, “Israel is targeting medical staff, ambulances and hospitals in addition to homes and shelters. No where is safe in the largest open air prison. #GazaUnderAttack.”

Independent Commission for Human Rights

On October 8, ICHR published a statement “strongly condemn[ing] the grave violations of human rights perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. These violations encompass acts of killing, bombing, destruction of homes and residential structures, targeting civil institutions, obstructing the entry of essential supplies, and cutting off electricity to Gaza. These actions persist amidst the enduring presence of a blockade imposed on the Strip for more than 17 years. ICHR sounds the alarm about the possibility of the Israeli government exploiting certain international endorsements to commit further massacres against Gaza’s civilian population and implement widespread displacement operations.”

Al Mezan

On October 9, Al Mezan tweeted, “BREAKING: The Israeli government has announced that it will implement a total closure of #Gaza, which means no food, fuel, or electricity for the civilian population. This is a collective punishment against two million Palestinians and a war crime of unprecedented dimensions.”
On October 8, Al Mezan published a Twitter thread claiming that “Over the past 15 years, Israel has carried out at least 6 large-scale military offensives against #Gaza. In each of them, we were on the ground and collected compelling evidence that the Israeli authorities have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.” The thread accused Israel of “an intention to carpet bomb #Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, in full disregard for civilians and civilian infrastructure, and portend an unprecedented number of killings, with civilians bearing the brunt.”

PNGO

On October 8, PNGO published a statement demanding “National unity to combat the challenges and to supply international protection to the Palestinian people.” According to the statement, “What is happening today in Gaza and the Palestinian West Bank, including Jerusalem, is nothing but a continuation of what the occupying state is planning through settlement expansion and daily killings, the Judaization of Jerusalem and targeting of Islamic and Christian holy sites…the world sees with double standards, especially the American position, who is the occupation’s partner in its aggression…and the European position as well, which is placing the blame on the Palestinian people. In the past two days an aggressive war has been taking place as part of the occupying state’s efforts to have revenge and expand the circle of massacres against the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip. We in PNGO salute this honorable image that our people are sketching” (emphases added). The statement further called for the world to “see the true reality, which is that the Palestinian people have been facing, for more than 75 years, a racist, fascist occupation…The Palestinian people are living in a national liberation phase and do not deal with the illusions of peace that is based on imposing a fait accompli. They are resisting this with all valor and sacrifice. The world must wake up today in order to achieve the rights [of the Palestinians] by prosecuting the occupying state, boycotting it, and imposing sanctions on it, and by delegitimizing its crimes until achieving the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people and ending the occupation in all its forms” (translated from the original Arabic by NGO Monitor, emphases added).

Sabeel

On October 8, Sabeel published a statement that “Israel declared ‘Operation Swords of Iron,’ involving a brutal and continuous aerial attack on Gaza that claimed hundreds of lives….We lift up all innocent people in particular the people of Gaza who are vulnerable and helpless to the Israeli airstrikes. May we remember that the recent events are connected to the long history of the Nakba and Israeli systematic oppression against the Palestinian people.”

Israeli NGOs

7amleh

On October 7, Neveen Abu Rahmoun a member of 7amleh’s board of directors, posted on Facebook, “The Palestinian resistance is imposing a new stage since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa flood operation by resistance fighters infiltrating into numerous Israeli neighborhoods in the settlements, by creating points of contact, and by firing rockets of the resistance. Israel, in its turn, is constrained by this and has announced a state of high mobilization for war. The message of the resistance is clear, it has started and it shall escalate and shall impose a new reality.”
On October 7, 7amleh tweeted, “In light of recent events, targeting of Palestinian content on social media platforms intensifies. This may include the spread of hate speech & incitement, as well as content take-downs or suspensions.”

Gisha

On October 7, Gisha Executive Director Tania Hary tweeted, “There is no way to cut electricity to 2.2 million people in Gaza in a manner that ‘complies with international law’ or ‘preserves humanitarian needs.’ This would be a crime of unseen proportions.”

Breaking the Silence

On October 8, Breaking the Silence published a statement that “Dozens taken hostage and dragged into the Gaza Strip. Every one of us knows someone who has been tragically affected. We could go on and on about their cruel and criminal actions, or focus on how our Jewish-supremacist government brought us to this point…All of these are code words for bombing the Gaza Strip to a pulp, always justified as targeting terrorists, yet always with heavy civilian casualties. In between these rounds of violence we make life impossible for Gazans, and then act surprised when it all boils over…”
On October 8, Breaking the Silence tweeted, “Hamas’s attack and the events unfolding since yesterday are unspeakable. We could talk about their cruel and criminal actions, or focus on how our Jewish-supremacist govt brought us to this point. But as former Israeli soldiers, our job is to talk about what we were sent to do.”

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-I)

On October 8, PHR-I published a statement claiming that “These events can only be understood within the context of a brutal 15-year siege on two million Gazan residents, half of whom are children and most of whom are refugees or the children and grandchildren of refugees…. Pain breeds pain. The Israeli government’s statements yesterday demonstrate its blindness to the reality it helped create and raise serious concern for what’s to come in the Gaza Strip in the days ahead.”

Kerem Navot

On October 8, Kerem Navot tweeted that “Any solution to this tragedy will require Israel to recognize the Palestinians and their historical and collective rights to this land, and to dismantle the system of oppression and apartheid that Israel practices against them.”

Yesh Din

On October 9, Yesh Din posted on Facebook that, “Despite the horrific events and the deep shock, and in light of reports of injuries to many Palestinians in the West Bank, Yesh Din calls on the army to fulfill its duty and protect the safety of the Palestinian citizens in the West Bank, including against attacks by Israeli settlers.”