Amnesty International says Hamas killed, tortured dozens of Palestinians last year

In a report released Wednesday, Amnesty International says that the militant group Hamas tortured and killed dozens of Palestinians during the war against Israel in the Gaza Strip last year, taking advantage of the "chaos of the conflict" to carry out "spine-chilling actions, some of which amount to war crimes."

The report says that during July and August, dozens of people were arrested and tortured, and at least 23 were executed, the Los Angeles Times reports. Amnesty International says that Hamas targeted members of Fatah, its rival political faction and the political base of the Palestinian Authority. "It is absolutely appalling that while Israeli forces were inflicting massive death and destruction upon the people in Gaza, Hamas forces took the opportunity to ruthlessly settle scores," Phillip Luther, Middle East and North Africa program director for Amnesty International, said in a statement.

One incident that was said to take place happened in August, when six men accused of being collaborators with Israel were executed in front of hundreds of people, including children. Hamas official Salah Bardawil called the report biased and not objective, and said Amnesty International "should have investigated the war crimes against humanity committed by Israel instead of criticizing the victims."

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