A Year after the Hamas Attack on Israel, a Ceasefire Agreement and the Release of Hostages Are Long Overdue

WASHINGTON-On the anniversary of Hamas's October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, Freedom House interim president Nicole Bibbins Sedaca issued the following statement:

"Today marks one year since Hamas's brutal terrorist attack on Israeli civilians ignited a full-scale war, leading to appalling human suffering, an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and broader consequences that continue to reverberate throughout the Middle East. A ceasefire agreement is long overdue, and a plan for lasting peace must be the region's highest priority. World leaders must redouble their efforts to secure a return of hostages, a halt to the fighting, and the provision of critical aid to Palestinians in Gaza. At the same time, they must focus their attention on how to permanently end a cycle of violence that has persisted for decades, leaving everyone in the region less free and less secure.

"The situation today is unacceptable: More than 41,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed by Israeli forces. Israel's military campaign has displaced millions of Palestinians and deprived them of access to adequate water, food, medical care, and shelter, while Hamas militants have further jeopardized their safety by embedding themselves among civilian populations. Violence against civilians by some members of the Israeli military and settlers is increasing in the occupied West Bank as Israelis seize control of more land there, and Israeli authorities have detained thousands of Palestinians amid troubling reports of abuse experienced by those in Israeli custody. In its initial raid, Hamas killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and took more than 200 hostages, many of whom have since been killed or continue to be held captive. Israel remains under attack from Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iranian-backed militant groups, and it has twice faced missile barrages from Iran itself. As horrendous as conditions are at this moment, the conflict continues to escalate across the region, with hundreds of civilians killed in Lebanon and millions displaced as Israel intensifies its retaliatory assault on Hezbollah and prepares for a more direct confrontation with Iran.

"The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is extensive and must be addressed urgently. The international community must do all in its power to relieve the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza. All humanitarian aid must immediately be allowed into the territory, and attacks on aid workers must end at once. It is also imperative that Israeli authorities grant journalists and investigators access to the region so they can report facts on the ground and collect evidence of abuses and rights violations, allowing perpetrators to be held accountable in a court of law. The United States should be a leader on this point and insist that all parties adhere to international law, while upholding its own Leahy Law, which prohibits the provision of US arms to military units that are committing abuses.

"The conflict in the Middle East cannot be ignored or merely contained. It will only end when the root causes are addressed. A durable peace will require a sustained commitment to democratic principles throughout the region, a free and democratic Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, an effective response to the poisonous role played by Iran's regime in financing terrorism, and lasting international support to ensure that all peoples in the Middle East enjoy the full array of political rights and civil liberties to which they are entitled."

Israelis rated Free in Freedom in the World 2024. The Gaza Stripand the West Bank, which are analyzed separately, are rated Not Free. Freedom in the Worldreports assess the level of political rights and civil liberties in a given geographical area, regardless of whether they are affected by the state, nonstate actors, or foreign powers.

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