UN-Mandated Probe Accuses Israel of War Crimes, Torture and Sexual Violence in West Bank Ahead of Election

Israeli forces are targeting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to a report from the United Nations (UN) Commission of Inquiry. The report concluded that Israel committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extermination, persecution, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence.

The report also found that Israel continued to commit genocidal acts in Gaza despite the ceasefire. It was released on the eve of the Knesset elections.

254 Palestinians Killed in West Bank Airstrikes

According to The Times of Israel, Daniel Meron, Israel's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, called the report a 'misinformation campaign to demonize the state of Israel and portray its very existence as criminal.' He also said that the UN sought 'to undermine Israel's legitimacy and deny its fundamental right to exist and defend itself.'

The commission's findings were accompanied by figures on Palestinian deaths. According to the report, six Palestinians were killed by airstrikes in the West Bank between 2008 and 6 October 2023. However, the number rose to 254 Palestinian deaths from airstrikes between 7 October 2023 and 30 September 2026.

To recall, Hamas launched an attack on 7 October 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. All hostages have been accounted for, with 166 of them returned alive.

The report was produced by the independent UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which investigates alleged violations of international law.

The commission concluded that Palestinians in the West Bank were being targeted based on their 'nationality, race and ethnicity, gender and age.'

Some 33 to 50 kilometres (21 to 30 miles) away, the report also found that Israeli authorities and forces continued to commit genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on 10 October 2025.

34,176 Displaced Palestinians

Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said Israeli military operations since January 2025 had resulted in the continued displacement of 34,176 Palestinians as of August 2026. 'Torture, reproductive violence, rape and other forms of sexual violence' were used to displace and destabilise Palestinians, the report said.

'Seizing maximum land while minimizing the Palestinian population in relation to size, autonomy and viability stems from Israel's colonising policies and is rooted in historical practices and patterns of action, resulting in the excessive and discriminatory application of lethal force, displacing, injuring and killing Palestinians over generations,' Muralidhar said.

Palestinian Authority Failure

The commission also noted shortcomings on the part of the Palestinian Authority, which it said had targeted Palestinians 'who voice dissenting views'. The report also noted 'increasingly diminished civic space', with journalists and human rights defenders facing violence and restrictions while carrying out their work.

'Despite an increase in unnecessary or disproportionate use of force since 7 October 2023, the Palestinian Authority has failed to conduct effective and impartial investigations into incidents of killings and to ensure effective remedy, including financial compensation to victims and their family members,' Muralidhar said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, for his part, has warned of the risk of 'ethnic cleansing' of Palestinians. 'I'm deeply alarmed by Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank. Settlements are expanding, evictions are unrelenting, with Palestinians driven from their lands, settler violence is surging and Palestinian families are being assaulted,' he said on social media.

The UN and more than 100 countries have called for a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.