Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard stirred controversy Tuesday during an interview on CNN International, where she sharply criticized the Israeli government’s handling of hostage negotiations. While affirming that Hamas must release all hostages, Callamard accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration of obstructing potential deals, saying that the war will not end while Israel “keeps playing games on the back of its own Israeli citizens.”
Callamard’s comments came in response to a question from host Jim Sciutto, who referenced President Donald Trump and Israel’s repeated assertion that the war in Gaza could end immediately if Hamas surrendered and released hostages. “Let’s be clear,” Callamard said, “what happened on October 7 was horrendous and constitutes crimes against humanity.” She also described Hamas’ continued hostage-taking as both a war crime and potentially a crime against humanity.
However, Callamard shifted focus to the Israeli government’s role in ongoing negotiations. She claimed that hostage families themselves have pointed to Netanyahu as the main obstacle, citing repeated breakdowns in negotiations that she says Israel caused. “There [have] been repeated negotiations for the release of hostages, and at the last minute, it is always the Israeli government that has backed out,” she said.
Callamard referenced an incident involving Israeli strikes near Qatari mediation channels as a turning point in recent talks. She accused the Israeli government of undermining potential agreements at the expense of its own citizens.
Her remarks have drawn backlash from those who argue that placing blame on Israel distracts from Hamas’ original act of aggression and continued refusal to surrender. Critics maintain that Hamas alone holds the power to end the war, as President Trump and the Israeli government have stated repeatedly.
Amnesty International has long been criticized for bias in its reporting on Israel and Palestinian territories, and Callamard’s remarks are likely to intensify scrutiny over the group’s objectivity. While she did not excuse Hamas’ actions, her statement that “humanity must win” will be seen by many as an attempt to equate the behavior of a terrorist organization with that of a democratic state acting in defense of its citizens.
The war in Gaza began after Hamas’ brutal October 7 assault on southern Israel, which killed over 1,200 people and led to the kidnapping of hundreds. Israel has since carried out a large-scale military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas and securing the release of hostages. The situation remains tense as diplomatic efforts, including those led by Qatar and Egypt, struggle to make progress.
