In a landmark effort to document and counteract denial of the events of October 7, 2023, the UKs All Party Parliamentary Group APPG on UK Israel has published a comprehensive 318 page report detailing the atrocities committed by Hamas led forces in southern Israel.
UNPRECEDENTED TERRORIST ASSAULT
The report meticulously chronicles the coordinated attack involving approximately 7000 militants, resulting in 1182 deaths, over 4000 injuries, and 251 hostages taken, 210 alive and 41 deceased. This assault is identified as the largest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust and the deadliest per capita terrorist attack globally, with over one in every ten thousand Israelis killed.
INTERNATIONAL IMPACT AND BRITISH CASUALTIES
The massacres reach extended beyond Israel, with citizens from 44 nations among the victims. Notably, 18 British nationals were killed, marking the highest UK loss in a Middle Eastern terrorist attack since 9 11.
DOCUMENTED ATROCITIES
Drawing from survivor testimonies, eyewitness accounts, and open source intelligence, the report provides harrowing details of the militants actions
Deliberate Targeting of Civilians Attackers systematically targeted civilians, employing shootings, grenade attacks, and arson. Victims ranged from infants to the elderly, with many shot at point blank range, burned alive, or killed by grenades.
Sexual Violence The report corroborates previous findings of sexual violence at multiple attack sites, including rape, gang rape, forced mutilation, sexualized torture, and forced nudity.
Desecration of Bodies There are numerous accounts of attackers desecrating both the living and the dead, showcasing a level of barbarism not seen since the Rape of Nanjing in 1937.
COUNTERING DENIAL AND PRESERVING HISTORICAL RECORD
The report emphasizes the importance of establishing an incontrovertible historical record to combat denial and misinformation. Lord Andrew Roberts, the historian who chaired the report, likened the falsification of these events to Holocaust denial, stating, Hamas and its allies, both in the Middle East and equally shamefully in the West, have sought to deny the atrocities.
GLOBAL REACTIONS
The publication has elicited strong reactions from global leaders and scholars:
Sir Niall Ferguson, Historian: Those who wish to understand the repulsive, pathological nature of antisemitism should read the report. Those who doubt the truly evil character of Hamas and PIJ must read it.
Simon Sebag Montefiore, Author: This parliamentary report into Hamas October 7 invasion of Israel, massacre and rapine, atrocities and hostage taking of innocent Israeli civilians is an important and essential record of one of the most atrocious crimes of terroristic barbarity in modern history.
CONCLUSION
The APPGs report serves as a crucial document in preserving the truth of the October 7 atrocities, ensuring that the memories of the victims are honored and that such events are neither forgotten nor misrepresented.