UN Panel Finds Israel Committed War Crimes in West Bank and Gaza

A United Nations commission released a report on Monday accusing Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza. The panel also identified specific wrongdoings by the Palestinian Authority, including arbitrary arrests and the targeting of journalists and activists.

The report states that almost 500 Palestinians are killed annually in the West Bank, a figure representing the highest numbers recorded since the UN began collecting data in 2005. The commission found that airstrikes caused a sharp increase in deaths following October 7, 2023. Between 2008 and October 2023, six Palestinians died in airstrikes. That number rose to 254 between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026.

According to the findings, airstrikes became more frequent after the launch of Operation Iron Wall in January 2025. The report notes that the operation shifted toward widespread destruction of housing and the clearing of refugee camps, particularly in areas around Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus. The commission cited the Israeli Defense Forces' stated aim to dismantle infrastructure that endangered citizens and military forces.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, the Indian jurist chairing the Commission of Inquiry, said the intentional killing of civilians and destruction of homes form part of a strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians. The report claims Israel is continuing to commit genocidal acts despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025. Hamas is named exactly twice in the document, and neither mention accuses the group of committing a crime.

The panel verified four additional cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees since its March 2025 report. Two of the victims were from the West Bank. The cases included alleged gang rape, genital violence, and forced nudity. One incident involved a male detainee at Megiddo Prison in 2025 who was allegedly blindfolded and raped with objects during interrogation. Guards reportedly mocked him and threatened to mutilate his genitals.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth made statements cited in the report. Smotrich referred to two million Nazis in the West Bank in November 2023. In January 2025, he wrote that Fondouk, Nablus, and Jenin should look like Jabalia. Bluth reportedly said in May 2026 that Israeli soldiers were killing like they had not since 1967.

The commission also accused the Palestinian Authority of suppressing political dissent. It cited the October 2023 killings of at least two men, a boy, and a girl during protests in Ramallah, Tubas, and Jenin. The PA accepted responsibility for the death of the boy, who was run over by a security vehicle. The report also investigated the December 2024 killing of a journalism student in Jenin who had documented abuses by Palestinian security forces.

Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry called the report a propaganda document detached from reality on Monday. The ministry said the report aims to undermine Israel's right to self-defense and delegitimize the Jewish state. The ministry also noted that the report legitimizes jihadist terrorism against citizens. Israel has previously rejected allegations of systematic sexual and gender-based violence, stating that the IDF has rules prohibiting such misconduct.

The commission concluded that the Palestinian Authority violated the right to life and security of person. It stated that the PA failed to conduct prompt and effective investigations into killings or provide remedies to victims and their families. The report details these findings as part of its ongoing inquiry into human rights conditions in the region.