Unmasking Hamas’s Crimes Against Humanity on October 7th: A Legal Analysis

Yaara Mordecai

Publication Date: January 14, 2024.

Type: A position paper.

As the world bore witness to the atrocities of the October 7th attack on Israeli civilians, and as testimonies continue to surface, many may be contemplating the legal perspective of this attack and how international criminal law plays a role in pursuing justice and criminal accountability. This paper will examine the acts committed by Hamas on October 7th, given limited access to police evidence, through the prism of international crimes against humanity, pursuant to the Rome Statute. The paper explores evidence of premeditation and systematic planning by Hamas for the crimes of murder, torture, and sexual violence committed against Israeli civilians. Ultimately, this paper will attempt to demonstrate how the acts committed on October 7th by Hamas clearly amount to international crimes and reaffirm the importance of the universal condemnation of these acts.