Published on: 2026-10-26
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 26, 2026 International Law
Israel has committed “war crimes and crimes against humanity in the form of extermination, persecution, torture, rapes, and other forms of sexual violence” in the occupied Palestinian territory. This is stated in the report published today by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry of the UN on events in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel.
The members of the Commission note that the situation in the West Bank sharply deteriorated after October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched a large-scale attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals. The number of deaths resulting from airstrikes in the West Bank, according to the report, increased significantly: whereas from 2008 until October 6, 2023, six Palestinians were killed by airstrikes in the West Bank, from October 7, 2023 to September 30, 2026, that number rose to 254. The Commission concluded that Palestinians in the West Bank are subjected to attacks based on nationality, race and ethnicity, gender, and age. In Gaza, according to the report, Israeli authorities and forces continue to “commit genocidal acts even after the so-called ceasefire agreement with the intention to destroy the Palestinian people in whole or in part.”
“Deliberate killings and injuries of Palestinian civilians and the destruction of homes in the West Bank, combined with Israel’s persistent refusal to acknowledge responsibility, are part of a broader strategy aimed at exterminating and displacing Palestinians and creating unbearable living conditions,” stated Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar.
“Meanwhile, Israel’s expansion of territorial control in Gaza continues to result in deaths and injuries among Palestinian civilians who approach or cross the ‘yellow line,'” he added.
Coordinated attacks
According to the report, since October 7, 2023, Israel has been carrying out large-scale and systematic attacks on the civilian population of the West Bank through military operations supported by violence from settlers. The conduct of the Israeli authorities during this period, according to the Commission members, indicates that they “intended to make military operations and settler violence part of a coordinated assault on Palestinians.”
“Torture, reproductive violence, rape, and other forms of sexual violence are part of a broader assault on the civilian population of the West Bank. Sexual violence has been used with the intent of displacement, subjugation, and destabilization of the Palestinian people,” the Commission warns. Experts also characterized the intentional killings of Palestinian children and the infliction of severe bodily and psychological harm on them as persecution based on age.
Root causes of violence
As part of a broader investigation into the root causes of recurring flare-ups and the protracted nature of the conflict, the Commission concluded that since the 1947–1948 war, Israel has pursued territorial expansion and the forced displacement of Palestinians. Military operations conducted since January 2025 have, according to the report, led to the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967: as of August 2026, 34,176 Palestinians remain displaced.
“The seizure of the maximum amount of land while simultaneously minimizing the Palestinian population in terms of its numbers, autonomy, and viability stems from Israel’s colonial policy and is rooted in historical practices and patterns of action, leading to excessive and discriminatory use of lethal force, displacement, injuries, and killings of Palestinians over generations,” Murali Dhar stated.
“Attempts to equate Palestinian statehood with a threat to Israel’s existence block any real efforts to realize the Palestinians’ right to self-determination,” he stressed.
Actions of the Palestinian Authority
At the same time, as established by the Commission, the Palestinian Authority persecuted Palestinians expressing dissent. Journalists and human rights defenders were killed, leading to a shrinking civic space.
“Despite the increase in cases of unjustified or disproportionate use of force after October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Authority has not conducted effective and impartial investigations into cases of killings and has not provided effective remedies, including financial compensation to the victims and their families,” noted Muralidhar.
Expert Recommendations
The Commission called on Israel to comply with the advisory opinion of the International Court from July 2024, to immediately end the unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory, to withdraw all settlers and dismantle all settlements. Experts emphasize that Israel must also cease and reverse the confiscation and appropriation of Palestinian property and the reservation of Palestinian lands for military purposes, as well as return all confiscated lands to their Palestinian owners.
According to them, the Palestinian Authority must stop persecuting human rights defenders, conduct independent investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights standards, and provide legal remedies to those harmed by actions of the Palestinian security forces.
An independent international commission to investigate events in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel was established by the UN Human Rights Council on May 27, 2021. It was tasked with investigating alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights standards in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel.
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