Public Statement Regarding October 7th Events by International Law Experts
On October 7th, 2023, over a thousand terrorists, members of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, infiltrated and captured civilian villages and towns in Israel, as well as a number of military bases. The terrorists massacred over 1300 people, including women, children, elderly people and young adults who were celebrating at an outdoor party. Thousands of people were severely wounded. The numbers of those slaughtered are still not final, and details about the magnitude of the atrocities are still unfolding. These acts constitute gross violation of international law, and, in particular, of international criminal law. As these widespread, horrendous acts appear to have been carried out with an “intent to destroy, in whole or in part” a national group – Israelis – a goal explicitly declared by Hamas, they most probably constitute an international crime of genocide, proscribed by the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
In addition to those murdered and wounded, it is estimated that over 150 people were kidnapped and taken hostage. The majority of the hostages are civilians, and they include Israeli as well as non-Israeli citizens. Among those abducted there are women, children, infants, elderly people in need of medical care and people with disabilities. According to media reports, some kidnapped persons were murdered following their abduction. Videos, released mostly by Hamas, posted on social media, document acts of torture, sexual violence, violence towards children and molestation of bodies. Hamas leader Salah Al-Arouri and Abu Obeida, spokesman of Izz ad-Din al-Kassam confirmed that they were holding Israeli abductees. No information has been provided regarding the current location, status and condition of hostages. They are being held without any communication with the outside world, and the ICRC has not had access to them. There is every reason to believe that their lives and basic rights are under immediate threat of the gravest nature.
War Crimes
International law prohibits the taking of hostages, defined in the International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages as seizing or detaining and threatening to kill, to injure or to continue to detain another person “in order to compel a third party, namely, a State, an international intergovernmental organization, a natural or juridical person, or a group of persons, to do or abstain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for the release of the hostage”. The customary international law prohibition on the taking of hostages applies both to international armed conflicts and to non-international armed conflicts. It thus applies to the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The taking of hostages is defined as a war crime, including by article 8 (2) (c) (iii)of the Rome Statue, reflecting customary international law. The laws pertaining to the holding of prisoners of war do not apply to terrorist organizations. Thus, holding both civilian and soldier hostages constitutes a war crime. The circumstances surrounding the kidnapping of all hostages, civilian and soldiers, reveals that they were taken with the purpose of holding them hostage. Hamas must release all hostages immediately.
In addition to taking hostages, according to information posted on social media and testimonials of survivors, members of Hamas deliberately targeted their attacks against large numbers of civilians, committing murder, torture, rape, mutilation and molestation of bodies. Each of these acts constitutes a war crime, for which perpetrators must bear full accountability.
Crimes Against Humanity
Crimes against humanity refers to acts conducted as part of a “widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population”. The acts that may constitute crimes against humanity include, among others, enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence and persecution. The abduction of people without provision of information regarding their whereabouts constitutes the crime of enforced disappearances. Furthermore, available information indicates that many abductees were tortured by their captors. These acts were multiply committed by Hamas towards the hostages in execution of its policy to attack civilians, and thus constitute crimes against humanity, for which perpetrators must bear full accountability.
Pending the release of hostages, Hamas must provide under international law information regarding the hostages, including their medical condition, and provide them with the necessary medical care. International law imposes additional particular duties of care towards women and children.
It is the legal and moral duty of all states to act swiftly to halt these crimes.
The international community, including all states and relevant international organizations, must take all measures necessary to ensure immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas. Any delay in action will result in more loss of human life and aggravated human suffering.
Pending release of the abductees, all states must demand Hamas to immediately provide clear information as to the actual whereabouts and condition of all abductees.
Pending release, humanitarian organizations, including the ICRC and all relevant UN agencies should demand from Hamas to provide them with access to the abductees. These organizations must also do their utmost to ensure that essential foodstuff and appropriate medical treatment are provided.
Pending release, all states should use all available means to support Israel, the ICRC and all other relevant organizations and states to gain access to the abductees and to receive information about their fate and whereabouts. Such assistance should include, at the least, providing all possible logistical assistance and available intelligence and supporting relevant diplomatic efforts.
Without derogating from the duty to demand the immediate and unconditional release of all abductees, all states and international organization have a duty to use all available means at their disposal in order to pressure Hamas to give precedence to the immediate release of those abductees who belong to specially protected groups: children, women, older persons, people with disabilities and those in need of medical treatment.
Signatories (institutional affiliation noted for identification purposes only):
Prof. Anne van Aaken, University of Hamburg
Prof. Benjamin Abtan, Sciences Po
Prof. Martin J Adelman, George Washington University
Prof. Kai Ambos, Universität Göttingen
Prof. Yutaka Arai-Takahashi, University of Kent, Brussels
Prof. Andreas von Arnauld, University of Kiel
Prof. Helmut Aust, Freie Universität Berlin
Dr. Shelly Aviv Yeini, Haifa University
Adv. Yfat Barak-Cheney
Prof. Jack M. Beard, University of Nebraska
Dr. Markus P. Beham, University of Passau
Attorney Marina Bejarano, Esq., New York Law School
Dr. Ulad Belavusau, University of Amsterdam
Prof. Avi Bell, Bar Ilan University
Prof. Orna Ben-Naftali, College of Management
Prof. Daniel Benoliel, Haifa University
Prof. Eyal Benvenisti, Cambridge University
Dr. Antal Berkes, University of Liverpool
Attorney Laura Bertilotti, Sciences Po
Prof. Leora Bilsky, Tel Aviv University
Dr. Daley J. Birkett, Macquarie University
Dr. Hannah Birkenkötter, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM)
Dr. Stefan Birkner, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Prof. Régis Bismuth, Sciences Po
Prof. Daniel Bodansky, Arizona State University
Dr. Ziv Bohrer, Bar-Ilan University
Prof. Sergio Raul Borisonik, Profesores Republicanos Argentina
Veronica Botticelli, University of Padua
Prof. Susan Breau, University of Victoria
Attorney Marcela Briceno-Donn
Prof. Tomer Broude, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Charles H. Brower II, Wayne State University
Prof. Nathaniel Berman, Brown University
Prof. Iris Canor, College of Management
Prof. Naomi Chazan, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Amichai Cohen, Ono Academic College
Prof. Gary P. Corn, American University Washington
Prof. Geoffrey S. Corn, Texas Tech University
Prof. Irwin Cotler, McGill University
Dr. Natalie Davidson, Tel Aviv UniversityProf. Hans-Georg Dederer, University of PassauProf. Laura A. Dickinson, George Washington UniversityDr. Anne Dienelt, University of HamburgProf. Janina Dill, Oxford UniversityProf. Giovanni Distefano, University of Neuchatel
Prof. Adriana Dreyzin de Klor, National University of Cordoba, Argentina
Prof. Ariel Dulitzky, University of Texas at Austin
Prof. Jeffrey L. Dunoff, Temple University
Prof. Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou, University of Liverpool
Prof. Talia Einhorn, Ariel University
Dr. Cochav Elkayam Levy, Hebrew University
Prof. Richard A. Epstein, New York University, The Hoover Institution, The University of Chicago
Prof. Carlos Espósito, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Dr. Myriam Feinberg, Gornitzky & Co
Prof. Veronika Fikfak, University College London
Dr. Agata Fijalkowski, Leeds Beckett University
Ms. Olivia Flasch, Consultant in Public International Law
Dr. Dieter Fleck, Honorary President, International Society for Military Law and the Law of War
Prof. Serena Forlati, University of Ferrara
Prof. Lisa Forman, University of Toronto
Prof. Rosa Freedman, University of Reading
Ms. Felice Gaer, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Human Rights
Dr. Sofia Galani, Panteion University
Prof. Hannah R. Garry, UCLA
Prof. Tarcisio Gazzini, Università di Padova
Prof. Thomas Giegerich, Europa-Institut, Saarland University
Dr. Rotem Giladi, University of Roehampton, London
Dr. Emanuela-Chiara Gillard, University of Oxford
Dr. Adi Gillat, H-F & Co. Law Offices
Prof. Tom Ginsburg, University of Chicago
Dr. Aleksandra Gliszczynska- Grabias, Polish Academy of Sciences
Administrative Law Judge Leah Goldberg
Prof. Nan Goodman, University of Colorado Boulder
Prof. Gregory S. Gordon, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Prof. Aeyal Gross, Tel Aviv University
Prof. Oren Gross, University of Minnesota
Prof. Claudio Grossman, American University, Washington
Prof. Nienke Grossman, University of Baltimore
Prof. Amos N. Guiora, University of Utah
Prof. Michaela Hailbronner, University of Münster
Prof. Gábor Halmai, European University Institute
Prof. Matthew Happold, University of Luxembourg
Prof. Adil Haque, Rutgers University
Prof. Guy Harpaz, Hebrew University
Prof. Wolff Heintschel von Heinegg, Europa-Universität Viadrina
Prof. Moshe Hirsch, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Stephan Hobe, University of Cologne
Dr. Jane Hofbauer, Universität der Bundeswehr München
Prof. Duncan B. Hollis Temple University
Prof. Tamar Hostovsky Brandes, Ono Academic College
Dr. Nicole Horn, Sigmund Freud University Vienna
Dr. Sigall Horovitz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. David Hughes, University of Toronto
Prof. Francesca Ippolito, University of Cagliari, Italy
Dr. Shahram Iranbomy
Dr. Kushtrim Istrefi, Utrecht University
Dr. Philipp Janig, University of the Bundeswehr Munich
David Joseph, KC
Prof. Yann Jurovics, Université Evry Val d’Essonne
Prof. Natia Kalandarishvili-Mueller, ALTE University, Tbilisi
Adv. Yuval Kaplinsky, Former Director of the Department of International Affairs, Israel’s State Attorney’s Office
Dr. Avidan Kent, University of East Anglia
Joshua Kern, 9BR Chambers
Prof. Mark Kersten, University of the Fraser Valley
Prof. Eugene Kontorovich, George Mason University
Prof. David Kaye, University of California, Irvine
Prof. Alexandre Kedar, Haifa University
Dr. Renana Keydar, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Orde F. Kittrie, Arizona State University/FDD
Prof. Eckart Klein, Potsdam University
Prof. Thomas Kleinlein, University of Kiel
Prof. Markus Kotzur, Universität Hamburg
Prof. Daniel Kraus, University of Neuchatel
Prof. Shiri Krebs, Deakin University
Prof. Claus Kreß, University of Cologne
Prof. David Kretzmer, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Heike Krieger, Freie Universität Berlin
Dr. Dilek Kurban, Berlin Social Science Center (WZB)
Dr. Viktoriia Lapa, Bocconi UniversityDr. Petra Larsen, University of Manchester
Prof. Annabelle Lever, Institut d'Etudes Politiques, Paris
Prof. Melanie Levy, University of Neuchatel
Dr. Liron A. Libman, Sapir Academic College
Prof. Eliav Lieblich, Tel Aviv University
Prof. Lucas Lixinski, UNSW Sydney
Prof. James Loeffler, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Marco Longobardo, University of Westminster
Dr. Henry Lovat, University of Glasgow
Prof. David Luban, Georgetown University
Prof. Noam Lubell, University of Essex
Dr. Asaf Lubin, Indiana University
Dr. Doreen Lustig, Tel Aviv University
Dr. Ivana Machonova Schellongova, Webster University Geneva
Prof. Mikael Rask Madsen, University of Copenhagen
Prof. Matthias Mahlmann, University of Zurich
Prof. Avihai Mandelblit, College of Law and Business
Dr. Pablo Luis Manili, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Prof. Yuri G. Mantilla, Liberty University
Prof. Paola Mariani, Bocconi University
Prof. Mahmoud Masaeli, Retired prof. at Carleton University and University of Ottawa
Dr. Shavit Matias, Reichman University
Dr. Kasey McCall-Smith, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Tamar Megiddo, Hebrew University Jerusalem
Dr. Andrea Mensi, University of Bologna
Prof. Roberto Mesrob Malkassian, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Prof. Ralf Michaels, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg
Prof. Marko Milanovic, University of Reading
Dr. Tal Mimran, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Martha Minow, Harvard University
Prof. Wyrzykowski Miroslaw, University of Warsaw
Prof. Daniel Moeckli, University of Zurich
Dr. Hilly Moodrick Even-Khen, Ariel University
Dr. Avigail Moor, Tel Hai Academic College
Dr. Niall Moran, Dublin City University
Prof. Luis Moreno Ocampo, Sao Paulo University
Prof. Sean D. Murphy, George Washington University
Prof. Roda Mushkat, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Renata Nagamine, Cebrap (Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning)
Prof. Juan Javier Negri, Asociación Argentina de Derecho Comparado
Prof. Dwight Newman, KC, University of Saskatchewan
Prof. Michael A Newton, Vanderbilt University Law School
Dr. Angelika Nußberger, University Cologne
Dr. Robert S. Neufeld, Haifa University
Prof. Roger O'Keefe, Bocconi University, Milan
Prof. Belen Olmos Giupponi, University of Portsmouth
Attorney Sandra Opincaru
Prof. Federico Ortino, King's College London
Prof. Mark Osiel, University of Iowa
Dr. Magdalena Pacholska, University of Amsterdam
Dr. Hadas Peled, Bar Ilan University
Prof. Anne Peters, Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law Heidelberg
Prof. Monica Pinto, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Prof. Ellen S. Podgor, Stetson University
Prof. Jiří Přibáň, Cardiff University
Prof. Marcela Prieto, University of Southern California
Prof. Alexander Proelss, University of Hamburg
Mr. Daniel R. Quiroga-Villamarín, Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID)
Prof. Frances Raday, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Camilo Ramírez Gutiérrez, Universidad el Bosque, Bogotá
Prof. Steven Ratner, University of Michigan
Prof. Arie Reich, Bar Ilan University
Dr. Yuval Reinfeld, Reichman University
Dr. Daphné Richemond-Barak, Reichman University
Prof. Noya Rimalt, Haifa University
Attorney Ivan Roisman, Universidad Nacional Rosario
Prof. Graziella Romeo, Bocconi University
Prof. Yaël Ronen, Academic Center for Science and Law
Prof. Marco Roscini, University of Westminster/Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
Prof. Richard D. Rosen, Texas Tech University
Prof. Issachar Rosen-Zvi, Tel Aviv University
Prof. Menachem Rosensaft, Cornell University
Dr. Ido Rosenzweig, Haifa University
Prof. Brad R. Roth, Wayne State University
Judge (retired) Saviona Rotlevy, Tel Aviv Court
Dr. Ilya Rudyak, University of the Pacific
Prof. Robbie Sabel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Giorgio Sacerdoti, Bocconi University Milano
Dr. Michal Saliternik, Netanya Academic College
Attorney Sandra Saltrese-Miller, Esq., Saltrese Law
Prof. Sixto Sánchez Lorenzo, University of Granada
Prof. Wojciech Sadurski, University of Sydney and University of Warsaw
Attorney Alon Sapir
Prof. Aurel Sari, University of Exeter
Prof. Ben Saul, The University of Sydney
Christine Savino, Cornell University
Prof. Paul Schiff Berman, George Washington University
Professor Thoresten Ingo Schmidt, University of Potsdam
Professor Maimon Schwartschild, University of San Diego
Prof. Tullio Scovazzi, University of Milano-Bicocca
Dr. Katarzyna Sekowska-Kozlowska, Polish Academy of Sciences
Dr. Omri Sender, Reichman University
Prof. Amanda Shanor, University of Pennsylvania
Prof. Yuval Shany, Hebrew University Jerusalem
Prof. Marina Sharpe, Royal Military College Saint-Jean
Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, Institute for National Security Studies
Prof. Malcolm Shaw, KC
Prof. Shimon Shetreet, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Vera Shikhelman, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Adv. Vadim Shub, Jerusalem Public Defender’s Office
Prof. Stefanie Schmahl, Universität Würzburg
Prof. Michael Schmitt, University of Reading
Dr. Roy Schondorf, Herzog, Fox & Neeman
Prof. Ady Schonmann-Bethlehem, King's College, London
Prof. Avrom Sher, University of London
Dr. Yahli Shereshevsky, Haifa University
Adv. Yifa Segal, JISS
Dr. Sivan Shlomo Agon, Bar-Ilan University
Prof. James C. Simeon, York University
Prof. Prabhakar Singh, BML Munjal University
Prof. Elies van Sliedregt, Tilburg University
Dr. Olga Śniadach, University of Gdańsk
Dr. Carlo de Stefano, Roma Tre University
Prof. Michael Stein, Harvard Law School
Prof. Richard H. Steinberg, University of California (Los Angeles)
Prof. Nomi Stolzenberg, University of Southern California
Prof. Anna Su, University of Toronto
Dr. James Summers, Lancaster University
Prof. Edward Swaine, George Washington University
Prof. Tomasz Tadeusz Koncewicz, University of Gdansk
Prof. Christian J. Tams, University of Glasgow
Prof. Ruti Teitel, New York Law School
Prof. D. A. Jeremy Telman, Oklahoma City University
Dr. Stephen Terrett, University of Warsaw
Prof. Patrick Terry, University of Public Administration Kehl
Prof. Joel Trachtman, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
Attorney Arthur Traldi
Prof. Nicholas Tsagourias, University of Sheffield
Prof. Antonios Tzanakopoulos, University of Oxford
Dr. Valentina Vadi, University of Florence and University of Padua
Dr. Dimitri Van Den Meerssche, Queen Mary University of London
Prof. Rachel VanLandingham, Southwestern Law School
Dr. Maria Varaki, King’s College London
Prof. Gabriella Venturini, University of Milan
Attorney Yael Vias Gvirsman, Reichman University
Dr. Pedro A. Villarreal Lizárraga, Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law/German Institute for International and Security Affairs
Prof. Alfredo M. Vitolo, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Prof. Markus Wagner, University of Wollongong
Prof. Michael Waibel, University of Vienna
Prof. Christian Walter, LMU Munich
Prof. Matthew Waxman, Columbia Law School
Prof. Annette Weinke, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena
Dr. Dana Wolf, Reichmann University
Adv. Dan Yakir, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel
Dr. Ganna Yudkivska, Academy of Advocacy of Ukraine, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Prof. Jonathan Zasloff, UCLA
Dr. Ariel Zemach, Ono Academic College
Prof. Katja Ziegler, University of Leicester
Prof. Reuven (Ruvi) Ziegler, University of Reading
Prof. Yaffa Zilbershats, Bar Ilan University
Prof. Noam Zohar, Bar Ilan University
