UN investigators document Israeli extermination and torture in West Bank

GENEVA (MNTV) — Israeli authorities and military forces have committed crimes against humanity, including extermination, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to a United Nations investigative commission

The latest report also finds that Israel continues to commit genocide in Gaza despite a ceasefire.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory released its findings, documenting killings and physical and psychological harm inflicted by Israeli and Palestinian security forces between October 2023 and September 2026. 

The commission concluded that Israeli military operations, reinforced by sustained settler violence, constituted a widespread and systematic attack against Palestinian civilians.

The commission found that Israeli authorities had pursued collective punishment against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in response to the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. 

It said the pattern of military operations and settler violence reflected coordinated actions and state policy, with discriminatory treatment rooted in nationality, race and ethnicity.

The investigation documented a sharp increase in Palestinian deaths caused by Israeli airstrikes. 

According to the report, six Palestinians were killed in air attacks in the occupied West Bank between 2008 and October 6, 2023. Between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026, the number rose to 254.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, the commission’s chair, said the intentional killing and injuring of Palestinian civilians, the destruction of their homes and the denial of responsibility by Israeli authorities formed part of a broader strategy to displace Palestinians and impose intolerable living conditions.

The commission also examined the continuing consequences of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, where its findings indicate that genocidal acts have continued despite the ceasefire. 

Israeli forces have maintained control over areas beyond the so-called Yellow Line, with Palestinians approaching or crossing the boundary facing continued violence and the risk of death or injury.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, cited in the report, Israeli genocide has killed more than 74,500 Palestinians. The campaign has also displaced nearly the entire population of the enclave, leaving extensive destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure.

The commission had previously concluded in a September 2025 report that Israel’s bombardment in Gaza amounted to genocide. 

Its latest findings reinforce concerns about the continued killing and displacement of Palestinians and the failure to secure effective protection for civilians.

The report’s publication coincided with a sweeping Israeli military operation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces imposed restrictions, carried out demolitions and displaced Palestinian residents following a shooting near the city. 

UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that measures aimed at emptying neighbourhoods and erasing their character raised serious concerns about ethnic cleansing.

Israel’s mission in Geneva rejected the commission’s findings, describing the investigation as a campaign to demonize the country and portray its existence as criminal. It called on the international community to repudiate the report and demand the commission’s dissolution.

The commission was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021 and operates independently of the UN Secretariat. Its findings contribute to the international record concerning alleged violations and may inform subsequent accountability efforts.

The report calls renewed attention to the consequences of Israel’s occupation and military operations for Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Its conclusions intensify demands for an end to unlawful practices, protection of civilians, and accountability for serious violations of international law.