UN Commission Finds 254 West Bank Deaths From Airstrikes Since 2023

The United Nations Commission of Inquiry released a report on Monday that accuses Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza. The document places specific financial and logistical weight on the conflict by detailing casualty figures and citing statements from senior Israeli officials that the commission used to assess military intent.

The data presented in the report marks a sharp increase in Palestinian deaths in the West Bank. The commission found that 254 Palestinians were killed by airstrikes between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026. This figure contrasts with the six deaths recorded by airstrikes between 2008 and October 6, 2023. The commission attributed the rise in frequency to Operation Iron Wall, which began in January 2025.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, the Indian jurist serving as the commission's chair, stated that the killing of civilians and destruction of homes in the West Bank form part of a strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians. He noted that Israel’s denial of responsibility combined with these actions imposes unliveable conditions on the population. The report claims these acts constitute genocidal acts with the intent to destroy the Palestinian people, despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025.

The commission cited specific public remarks by Israeli officials to support its findings on intent. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is quoted in the report referring to “two million Nazis” in the West Bank in November 2023. In January 2025, Smotrich wrote that the cities of Fondouk, Nablus, and Jenin should “look like Jabalia.” The report also included a May 2026 statement by IDF Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, who reportedly said Israeli soldiers were “killing like we haven’t since 1967.”

The document details four verified cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees, adding to findings from a March 2025 report. One case involved a male detainee at Megiddo Prison in 2025 who was allegedly blindfolded, forced into nudity, and raped with objects during interrogation. The commission alleged that guards mocked and photographed the detainee, who suffered rectal bleeding without receiving medical treatment. The commission concluded that these acts were part of a broader attack on the civilian population.

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry responded to the report by calling it a “propaganda document detached from reality.” The ministry stated the report aims to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense and delegitimize the Jewish state. In a March 2025 response to similar allegations, the ministry noted that the IDF has rules prohibiting sexual misconduct and mechanisms for investigating such claims.

The commission also assigned liability to the Palestinian Authority for violations of the right to life and security of person. The report cites the December 2024 killing of a journalism student in Jenin, who was shot near her home. Palestinian security forces had a heavy presence in the area, and their spokesman blamed the killing on “outlaws.” The commission found that the PA failed to conduct impartial investigations and often ignored court orders for the release of detainees.

The report notes that Hamas was named exactly twice, with no specific accusation of crimes against the Palestinian people in those mentions. The commission's findings suggest that the burden of accountability in the West Bank is shared between the occupying power and the local administration, with both failing to meet international human rights standards.