Resistance

Under international law, peoples under foreign occupation have a recognized right to self-determination, and some legal scholars argue this includes a right to armed resistance against military targets. UN General Assembly resolutions have recognized the right of peoples under colonial and foreign domination to struggle for liberation. However, IHL prohibits attacks targeting civilians regardless of any political cause. Armed groups exercising "resistance" remain bound by the laws of war.

Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and their supporters describe all armed operations against Israel — including the October 7, 2023 massacre of Israeli civilians — as legitimate resistance against occupation and oppression. This framing is used to confer political legitimacy on attacks that killed 1,200 civilians and resulted in the taking of 251 hostages.

The October 7 attacks and similar operations targeting civilians constitute terrorism under the laws of the designating nations and war crimes under IHL — regardless of any claimed political justification. International law does not permit attacks on civilians as a means of political resistance. Using "resistance" as a framing for the October 7 massacre is viewed as a deliberate effort to normalize atrocity.