UN inquiry says Israel kept up Gaza genocide after truce, cites West Bank crimes
A UN-mandated commission of inquiry says Israel continued committing genocide in Gaza after the October 2025 ceasefire and committed crimes against humanity in the West Bank. Israel calls the report propaganda.
At a glance
- The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel published its new report to the UN General Assembly on Monday, October 26, 2026.
- It concludes that Israel has continued 'genocidal acts' in Gaza since the US-brokered ceasefire of October 2025, and that Israeli-controlled territory has grown from about 51% of Gaza to at least 60%.
- In the West Bank it finds crimes against humanity including extermination, torture, rape and persecution; deaths from air strikes rose from 6 (2008–October 6, 2023) to 254 (October 7, 2023–September 30, 2026).
- More than 34,000 Palestinians remained displaced in the West Bank as of August 2026, the largest displacement there since 1967.
- Israel's foreign ministry called the report 'a propaganda document detached from reality'; it came out a day before Israel's general election.
A UN-mandated commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel continued to commit genocide in Gaza after the October 2025 ceasefire, and that Israeli forces committed crimes against humanity in the occupied West Bank, including extermination, torture and persecution. The report, submitted to the UN General Assembly and published on Monday, October 26, 2026, covers October 2023 to September 2026. Israel rejected it as propaganda.
What the report found
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel is a panel of independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. Its chair, former Indian judge Srinivasan Muralidhar, presented findings in four main areas.
Gaza. The commission says Israeli authorities have continued "genocidal acts with the genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians in Gaza" since its first genocide finding in September 2025. It says forces kept using heavy munitions, drones, quadcopters, artillery and sniper fire in crowded areas during the truce, and that the ceasefire boundary known as the "Yellow Line" has turned into a creeping de facto border.
West Bank. It found crimes against humanity including extermination, torture, rape and other sexual violence, and persecution. It says Israeli forces deliberately killed and seriously harmed children, that settler violence formed part of a "widespread and systematic" attack, and that detainees were abused at Damon prison. Muralidhar said killings and home demolitions were part of a broader strategy to displace Palestinians.
Palestinian Authority. The commission also faulted the PA for targeting critics, saying journalists and human rights defenders were killed or injured and that killings were not properly investigated.
| Indicator | Figure in the report |
|---|---|
| Share of Gaza under Israeli control at ceasefire | About 51% |
| Share of Gaza under Israeli control now | At least 60% |
| Palestinians killed near the Yellow Line (ceasefire to early April) | At least 196, including 43 children |
| West Bank air-strike deaths, 2008 – Oct 6, 2023 | 6 |
| West Bank air-strike deaths, Oct 7, 2023 – Sep 30, 2026 | 254 |
| Palestinians still displaced in the West Bank (Aug 2026) | 34,176 — the most since 1967 |
Background
The war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Gaza's health authorities say more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive since, and nearly the whole population has been displaced. A US-brokered ceasefire took effect in October 2025.
The commission first concluded in September 2025, under then-chair Navi Pillay, that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. A further report in June 2026 focused on the killing of Palestinian children. The commission's findings are not court rulings, but they can be used as evidence by the International Court of Justice, where South Africa's genocide case against Israel is pending, and by the International Criminal Court.
Reactions
Israel's foreign ministry called the report "a propaganda document detached from reality" and said it delegitimises the Jewish state. Israel's mission in Geneva said it was part of a "misinformation campaign to demonize the State of Israel", and Ambassador Daniel Meron said such bodies aim to deny Israel's right to exist and defend itself. Israel had rejected the 2025 report as "distorted and false". The Palestinian Authority did not immediately comment on the findings against it.
Why it matters
The report lands at a sensitive moment: it was released the day before Israel's October 27 general election, while Israeli operations continue in Hebron and other West Bank cities, and as the Gaza ceasefire remains fragile. It adds pressure on governments that supply arms to Israel and feeds into the legal cases in The Hague. For Pakistan, Gulf states and other Muslim-majority countries that have long pressed for accountability, it is likely to be cited in UN debates in the coming weeks.
What happens next
Commission members are due to present the report to the UN General Assembly in New York during its current session, where member states will debate it. The findings could be submitted to the ICJ and ICC. Israel, which does not cooperate with the commission and bars its members from entering, is not expected to change its position.
Questions people are asking
What did the UN commission of inquiry find in October 2026?
Its report says Israel has kept committing genocidal acts in Gaza despite the October 2025 ceasefire, and that Israeli forces committed crimes against humanity in the West Bank, including extermination, torture, rape and persecution.
Who leads the UN commission of inquiry on Israel and Palestine?
The commission is chaired by Srinivasan Muralidhar, a former Indian high court judge. It was earlier chaired by Navi Pillay, whose commission first found genocide in Gaza in September 2025.
How did Israel respond to the UN genocide report?
Israel rejected it. The foreign ministry called it a propaganda document, and Israel's mission in Geneva said it was part of a misinformation campaign to demonise the country.
