A UN investigative committee has accused Israel of committing crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza. The committee's report, released on October 26, 2026, states that Israeli authorities and forces have committed crimes against humanity in the West Bank, including extermination, torture, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. The report also accuses Israel of continuing to carry out genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had previously accused Israel of forcibly displacing over 33,000 Palestinians from three camps in the West Bank in 2025, sparking concerns of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. The committee's report notes a sharp deterioration in the situation in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, with 254 Palestinians killed between then and September 30, 2026, compared to six killed in airstrikes between 2008 and October 6, 2023.
The committee's report states that Israeli authorities have sought to punish the civilian population in the West Bank collectively and have launched a generalized and systematic attack against civilians through military operations, accompanied by ongoing violence from settlers. The report's new president, Indian Srinivasan Muralidhar, stated that the killings, deliberate injuries, and destruction of homes in the West Bank, combined with Israel's continued denial of responsibility, are part of a broader strategy aimed at exterminating and displacing Palestinians.
The International Court of Justice ruled in January 2024 that Israel must prevent any acts that could be considered genocide in Gaza, warning of a real and imminent risk of irreparable harm to Palestinians. The UN report also condemns acts of violence committed by the Palestinian Authority against members of rival armed groups and the suppression of civilian and political opponents.
The committee, established in 2021, had previously concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, a finding that Israel rejected as false and anti-Semitic. Israel's ambassador to Geneva, Daniel Meron, described the new report as an attempt to destroy the Jewish state and deny its fundamental right to exist.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, with over 3 million Palestinian residents and over 500,000 Israeli settlers living in illegal settlements under international law. The situation is marked by escalating violence ahead of Israel's general election.
The report's findings have sparked widespread reactions, with many Palestinians welcoming the report's conclusions and Israel rejecting them. The international community has been urged to take action in response to the report's findings.
Key points
- The UN report accuses Israel of committing crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza, including extermination and genocide.
- The report notes a sharp deterioration in the situation in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, with 254 Palestinians killed.
- Israel has rejected the report's findings, describing them as false and anti-Semitic.
