Israel Continued Genocide in Gaza Despite Ceasefire and Committed Rape and Torture in West Bank, UN Investigators Say

A United Nations commission has found that Israel continued committing genocidal acts in Gaza despite a ceasefire, while Israeli authorities and forces committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extermination, torture, rape, and other sexual violence, in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The findings, published on 26 October 2026, also highlight a sharp rise in Palestinian deaths caused by airstrikes in the West Bank and the continued displacement of tens of thousands of residents. Israel has rejected the Commission's conclusions, describing its work as a misinformation campaign.

West Bank Airstrike Deaths Rise Sharply

Six Palestinians were killed in West Bank airstrikes between 2008 and 6 October 2023, compared with 254 between 7 October 2023 and 30 September 2026, according to the Commission's report. The investigation found that Palestinians in the West Bank had been targeted on grounds including nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, and age.

It described military operations, alongside settler violence, as part of a widespread and systematic attack against civilians since October 2023. Military operations launched in January 2025 contributed to the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967, the Commission said. A total of 34,176 people remained displaced as of August 2026.

Commission Details Findings on Sexual Violence and Children

The Commission said torture, reproductive violence, rape, and other forms of sexual violence formed part of the broader attack against Palestinians in the West Bank. It concluded that sexual violence had been used with the intent to displace, subjugate, and destabilise the population.

The investigation also found that Israeli forces had deliberately killed Palestinian children and inflicted serious bodily or mental harm on them in both the West Bank and Gaza. It characterised the treatment of children as persecution based on age.

These are findings by an investigative commission, not convictions issued by a criminal court. Israel denies the allegations of genocide and sexual assault. The Associated Press reported that it could not independently verify several graphic accounts of sexual abuse described in the report.

Gaza Ceasefire Has Not Ended the Commission's Concerns

In Gaza, the Commission said Israeli authorities and forces continued committing genocidal acts after the ceasefire began in October 2025, with the intent to destroy Palestinians in whole or in part.

It also raised concerns about the expanding area under Israeli territorial control. The report said the so-called Yellow Line, presented as a ceasefire demarcation, was increasingly functioning as a de facto border. Commission chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said Israeli fire continued to kill or injure Palestinians approaching or crossing the line.

Israel's mission in Geneva dismissed the report as part of what it called a misinformation campaign intended to demonise the country and undermine its legitimacy. It called for the Commission to be dissolved.

The Commission recommended that Israel comply with the International Court of Justice's July 2024 advisory opinion, end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory, remove settlements and settlers, reverse confiscations of Palestinian property, and return confiscated land. The advisory opinion is separate from the Commission's findings in this report.

Palestinian Authority Also Criticised

The Commission also criticised the Palestinian Authority, saying it had targeted people expressing dissent and failed to ensure impartial investigations into killings or provide effective remedies and compensation. Journalists and human rights defenders were among those reported killed or injured. It recommended that the Palestinian Authority stop targeting human rights defenders and investigate alleged violations.