Amnesty International on Tuesday called on armed Palestinian groups to immediately release all civilians still held hostage in the occupied Gaza Strip, nearly two years after the October 7 attacks, while also urging Israel to halt what it described as an ongoing genocide against Palestinians.
In its latest report, the rights group stressed that achieving a ceasefire is a global responsibility. Amnesty’s secretary general, Agnes Callamard, warned: “Every moment of inaction costs more lives and deepens the horrors civilians are facing. An immediate ceasefire is not just a moral imperative; it is a global responsibility.”
Amnesty further emphasized that Israel has intensified its “campaign of annihilation against Palestinians” in recent months through the deliberate destruction of infrastructure, mass displacement, and starvation. The organization cautioned that such actions endanger not only Palestinians but also Israeli hostages, who may be facing physical, sexual and psychological abuse in captivity. Just two weeks earlier, on September 20, Hamas’ military wing published a “farewell” photo displaying the remaining hostages.
The call to action came alongside renewed international appeals for a ceasefire and a recent finding of genocide by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. Most recently, ceasefire demands were voiced at the UN General Assembly in New York, while more countries have continued to formally recognize Palestinian statehood. Additionally, on September 29, President Trump unveiled a new peace plan during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu endorsed the proposal but warned that if Hamas rejected it, Israel would finish the job on its own. Notably, the 20-point plan includes a framework for Palestinian statehood, as reported by several news outlets, though Israel has repeatedly signaled that it would forcibly resist such an outcome.
