The War in Gaza Must End

WASHINGTON-On the second anniversary of Hamas's October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, Freedom House Presidents Gerardo Berthinand Annie Boyajian issued the following statement:

"After two years of brutal conflict between Israel and Hamas, a durable peace is more urgently needed than ever. The US-led peace plannow under consideration would establish a cease-fire, secure the release of hostages and others in unlawful detention, restore access to humanitarian aid, and set the stage for "a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood." We applaud all parties for entering negotiations. It is critically important that any final agreement also include accountability for atrocity crimes and other human rights violations, full media access and protections for civil society and journalists, meaningful political rights and democratic elections for Palestinians, and a commitment from the international community to provide long-term diplomatic and financial support that will help all those living in the region secure peace, freedom, and dignity.

"The period of conflict that began two years ago, with a Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel, has brought horrific destruction to the entire region. In Israel, beyond the roughly 1,200 people killedand more than 250 others abducted in the initial assault, hundreds of thousands of civilians have at times been displaced from their homes by cross-border attacks. In Lebanon, parallel fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah killed more than 4,000 people and displaced more than a million. Concurrent violence in the West Bank has included lawless attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers as well as deadly assaults on Israelis by Palestinian militants. Campaigns of air strikes, missile fire, and targeted assassinations have rocked countries as far afield as Yemen, Iran, and Qatar, taking hundreds of additional lives.

"But all ofthese appalling effects are increasingly overshadowed by the dire situation in the Gaza Strip. The political rights and civil liberties of Gaza residents were already severely constrained or denied as a result ofalmost 20 years of authoritarian rule by Hamas, as well as a de facto blockade of the territory, periodic military incursions, and rule-of-law violations by Israeli forces. Since October 2023, however, more than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed-most of them women and children-and nearly the entire population has been repeatedly displaced by Israeli offensives and evacuation orders, with many now facing famine conditions. Hamas fighters have used an extensive tunnel network beneath the territory's cities to hold hostages, move arms and supplies, and attack Israeli troops, and they have conducted public executions of those accused of collaborating with Israel. The Israeli military has employed a strategy and tactics that entail the wholesale demolition of civilian housing, mass civilian casualties, the denial or disruption of vital aid supplies, and the degradation of life-sustaining civilian infrastructure-including water and sanitation systems, electrical power equipment, agricultural land and facilities, and hospitals. Hundreds of journalists have been killed or injured while documenting events in the territory, and Israeli forces have barred international reporters from entering.

"This is a crucial moment. We urge the international community to work alongside Palestinians and Israelis to bring this devastating conflict to an end and deliver a peace that can be sustained for generations to come."

Israelis rated Free in Freedom in the World 2025. The Gaza Stripand the West Bank, which are analyzed separately, are rated Not Free. Freedom in the World reports assess the level of political rights and civil liberties in a givengeographical area, regardless of whether they are affected by the state, nonstate actors, or foreign powers.

Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to create a world where all are free. We inform the world about threats to freedom, mobilize global action, and support democracy's defenders