Key takeaways
- A UN commission of inquiry says Israel committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank.
- Israel's Geneva mission rejected the report and called for the commission's dissolution on 26 October, a day before national elections.
- The commission is an investigative body, not a court, so its findings are not a binding legal judgment.
A United Nations commission of inquiry said in a report released on 26 October that Israeli authorities and forces have committed crimes against humanity in the occupied West Bank, and that Israel has committed war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a whole. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel presented the report to the UN General Assembly. It names extermination, persecution, torture, rape, and sexual and reproductive violence.
The commission described a "widespread and systematic attack" on Palestinian civilians. It attributed the attack to Israeli military operations coordinated with settler violence since 7 October 2023. It said airstrikes killed 254 Palestinians in the West Bank between 7 October 2023 and 30 September 2026, against six between 2008 and 6 October 2023. It also said operations since January 2025 displaced 34,176 Palestinians as of August 2026, the largest displacement in the West Bank since the 1967 war. The commission is an investigative body, not a court, and its findings are not a binding judgment.
Gaza, detention and Israel's response
On Gaza, the commission said Israel is "continuing to commit genocidal acts with the genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians in Gaza". It said this upholds its September 2025 finding, despite the October 2025 US-brokered ceasefire. By its count, fire along the "Yellow Line" ceasefire boundary has killed at least 196 Palestinians during the truce, including 43 children. It said Israel expanded territorial control from 53% to at least 60% of Gaza.
The report also documents sexual violence and torture of Gazan detainees at the Sde Teiman military facility. It demands the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and other detained health workers. It criticises the Palestinian Authority for targeting dissidents, human rights defenders and journalists.
Daniel Meron, Israel's ambassador in Geneva, and Israel's mission there rejected the report as a "misinformation campaign to demonize the State of Israel". They called for the commission to be dissolved. Meron said actors such as the commission seek "to undermine Israel's legitimacy and deny its fundamental right to exist and defend itself."
Observers are reading: how the 27 October election, Gaza territorial figures and stalled disarmament talks shape what follows the report.
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A report from an investigative body, not a ruling
The commission's conclusions are the assessment of a UN-mandated investigative body. Navi Pillay, who chaired the commission until November 2025, was announced as the winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month, according to the UN. Israel votes on 27 October. Crisis.Zone will update this report as verified information becomes available.
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