Gaza war has had negative impact on human rights, says US state department

Arbitrary or unlawful killings, enforced disappearance, torture and unjustified arrests of journalists among issues, report says

The war between Israel and Hamas that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis has had “a significant negative impact” on the human rights situation in the country, the US state department said in its annual report on Monday.

Significant human rights issues include credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, enforced disappearance, torture and unjustified arrests of journalists among others, said the state department’s 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.