UN Commission Accuses Israel of Crimes Against Humanity

A United Nations commission of inquiry accused Israeli authorities and security forces of crimes against humanity in the occupied West Bank and continued genocidal acts in Gaza, according to a report released Monday, October 26, 2026. The findings cover alleged abuses from October 7, 2023, through September 2026 and prompted a strong rejection from Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The commission identified extermination, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, alongside persecution based on nationality, race and ethnicity. It said Israeli military operations and sustained settler violence had created a widespread and systematic attack on Palestinian civilians.

The report documented a sharp increase in Palestinian deaths from airstrikes in the West Bank. According to the commission, six Palestinians were killed in such attacks between 2008 and October 6, 2023, compared with 254 between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026.

The commission linked the increase to intensified military operations, particularly after Operation Iron Wall began in January 2025. It identified refugee camps and surrounding areas near Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas and Nablus as locations affected by destruction of homes and infrastructure.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the commission, said the reported killings, injuries and destruction formed part of a broader pattern of displacement and deprivation.

"The intentional killing and injuring of Palestinian civilians and destruction of homes in the West Bank combined with Israel’s persistent denial of responsibility form part of a broader strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians and impose conditions of life that are unlivable," Muralidhar said.

The commission also examined statements by Israeli officials when assessing military conduct and the intentions behind operations. Its report cited remarks by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and IDF Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, including a statement attributed to Bluth in May 2026 that soldiers were killing at a pace not seen since 1967.

The report further documented four additional cases of alleged sexual violence against Palestinian detainees since the commission's March 2025 report on gender-based violence. Two victims were from the West Bank, and the allegations included rape, genital violence, forced nudity and threats of sexual violence.

One case involved a male detainee held at Megiddo Prison in 2025. The commission alleged that he was blindfolded, sexually assaulted with objects during interrogation, threatened with further violence and left with serious injuries without medical treatment.

Israel has previously rejected allegations that its forces systematically used sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinian detainees. In a March 2025 response, the Foreign Ministry said the military prohibited such misconduct and had mechanisms to investigate allegations.

Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry rejected the commission's broader findings on Monday, arguing that the report undermined the country's security and right to defend itself.

"propaganda document detached from reality, aimed at undermining Israel’s right to self-defense, delegitimizing the Jewish state, and legitimizing jihadist terrorism against its citizens." the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

Israel's mission in Geneva also denounced the commission's work, describing the findings as an effort to demonize the country. The mission called on the international community to reject the report and demand the commission's dissolution.

The commission maintained that Israeli forces continued to commit genocidal acts in Gaza despite the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. It said the alleged acts were intended to destroy Palestinians in whole or in part, reiterating a conclusion it first reached in September 2025. Israel has rejected the genocide allegation.

At least five Palestinians, including a seven-year-old girl, were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on October 26, according to medical officials in the territory. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 74,500 people had been killed during the war and that nearly the entire population had been displaced.

The report also accused the Palestinian Authority of suppressing political dissent through arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and targeting journalists, activists and human rights defenders. It examined the killing of a Palestinian journalism student in Jenin refugee camp in December 2024, noting conflicting information about whether clashes were underway when she was shot.

The commission's findings were released amid an Israeli security crackdown in Hebron following a shooting near the city the previous week. Israeli forces imposed a lockdown on Friday, October 23, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to extend restrictions across the West Bank.

Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, condemned the operation on Monday, citing displacement, home demolitions and restrictions on movement. He said the measures raised concerns about excessive force and possible ethnic cleansing.

According to Turk, the lockdown had already forcibly displaced more than 2,000 Palestinians. He called for displaced residents to be allowed to return and for compensation and reparations for unlawful evictions and demolitions.

"Collective punishment is a grave violation of international law," Turk said.

The three-member commission was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021. Its mandate covers alleged violations in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.