UN Commission Accuses Israel of War Crimes, Genocide in New Report

A new report released on October 26 by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, accuses Israel and its security forces of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza. The allegations include the killing of civilians, torture, rape, sexual violence, and persecution of Palestinians based on national and ethnic grounds. The commission also reiterated its previous conclusion that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The report, dated October 14 and submitted to the UN General Assembly, is the fifth from the commission, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021 to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law and human rights in the Palestinian territories and Israel. The current three-member commission includes Chairperson Shrinivasan Muralidhar from India, Florence Mumba from Zambia, and Chris Sidoti from Australia, who also served on the previous commission.

Investigators claim they sent two requests for information to the Israeli government but received no response, while the Palestinian side provided comments. The report does not specify the number of alleged victims interviewed, the method of interviews, or the independent evidence gathered for sexual assault cases. The commission cites its general methodology from previous investigations.

Regarding the West Bank, the report states that between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026, 1,080 Palestinians were killed and 10,940 injured by Israeli forces. It notes a significant increase in deaths from airstrikes, with 254 Palestinians killed in this manner in less than three years, compared to six between 2008 and October 7, 2023. The commission investigated seven specific incidents of killings and harm to unarmed Palestinians, including the death of a seven-month-old child in Hebron and a family of four near Tubas in March 2026. It also mentions the death of Turkish-American activist Ayşenur Eig during a protest near Beitoun in September 2024. The commission asserts that Israeli forces are conducting widespread and systematic actions against the civilian population in the West Bank, with settler violence being part of this policy, qualifying these acts as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The report details alleged sexual violence against Palestinians in detention, including four additional cases investigated since March 2025. One case describes a Palestinian prisoner in Megiddo prison allegedly being stripped, forced to kneel, and subjected to gang rape with objects, while prison staff allegedly took photos and threatened the victim's relatives. Another case involves a pregnant Palestinian woman in Damon prison who allegedly underwent repeated humiliating strip searches and physical abuse. The commission also reports six additional cases of alleged sexual violence and torture of Palestinian men at the Sde Teiman military base, including rape with a stick, and two cases involving detainees from the Global Sumud flotilla in 2025, one of whom allegedly suffered rape with a metal detector. The commission concludes that torture, rape, and other forms of sexual violence are not isolated incidents but part of a broader practice of persecution, qualifying them as crimes against humanity. Associated Press noted it could not independently verify several of the sexual violence testimonies.

Concerning Gaza, the report claims Israel continues actions qualifying as genocide, linking civilian casualties to expanding Israeli control, which has grown from approximately 53% to at least 60% of the Gaza Strip since a ceasefire in October 2025. Between October 2025 and April 2026, at least 196 Palestinians, including women and children, were reportedly killed near the "yellow line." The commission also investigated airstrikes on October 28-29, 2025, which Palestinian health officials said killed 104 people. The commission disputes Israel's explanations of targeting terrorist sites and subsequent actions due to ceasefire violations, stating collected materials indicate continued actions aimed at the partial or total destruction of the Palestinian population.

The report also criticizes the Palestinian Authority's security forces for excessive force, arbitrary detentions, persecution of political opponents, and suppression of protests, which allegedly led to the deaths of at least 14 Palestinians, including two minors, between October 2023 and October 2025. The commission also states the PA failed to effectively investigate several killings and human rights violations.

Israel has vehemently rejected the report's findings, with its Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva calling it part of a disinformation campaign to demonize Israel and delegitimize the Jewish state. Ambassador Daniel Meron stated the commission seeks to undermine Israel's legitimacy and its right to exist and self-defense. Israel urged the international community to reject the findings and demand the commission's dissolution. This stance mirrors Israel's reaction to previous reports, including one on alleged genocide in September 2025, which Israel's Foreign Ministry dismissed as false and slanderous, accusing commission members of bias and selective use of sources while ignoring Hamas's crimes.