UN inquiry says Israel committed war crimes: West Bank airstrike deaths 6 before Oct 2023, 254 since

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said on Monday that Israel has committed war crimes and the crimes against humanity of extermination, persecution, torture, and rape and other sexual violence in the occupied Palestinian territory. It also said Israel continues to commit genocidal acts in Gaza after the ceasefire, according to a press release from the UN human rights office (OHCHR) dated 26 October 2026 in New York. The findings are in a new report to the UN General Assembly.

These are the conclusions of a UN-appointed investigative body, not a court ruling. The Human Rights Council set up the Commission on 27 May 2021, and its members are independent experts who do not speak for the UN as a whole. Israel disputes the findings.

What the Commission found

• West Bank airstrikes: the Commission counts 6 Palestinians killed by airstrikes from 2008 to 6 October 2023, against 254 from 7 October 2023 to 30 September 2026.
• Displacement: 34,176 Palestinians were displaced in the West Bank as of August 2026, which the Commission describes as the largest displacement there since 1967.
• Gaza after the ceasefire: chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said the expansion of Israeli control in Gaza is killing civilians who approach or cross the Yellow Line.
• Legal findings: war crimes and crimes against humanity in the territory, including extermination, persecution, torture and sexual violence. We are not reproducing the report's detailed allegations here.
• Recommendation: that Israel comply with the International Court of Justice's July 2024 advisory opinion.

We have not independently verified these figures. They are the Commission's own counts.

Gaza figures reported by AP and Reuters

AP and Reuters, reporting on the same document, say the Commission puts the Israeli-controlled share of Gaza at at least 60%, up from 53% at the time of the October 2025 ceasefire, and says at least 196 Palestinians have been killed along the advancing front since then. Those are the Commission's figures as relayed by the agencies, and we have not verified them.

The Palestinian Authority is also criticized

The report is not limited to Israel. The Commission also finds that the Palestinian Authority targeted dissenters, killed or injured journalists and rights defenders, and failed to investigate killings.

Israel's response

As reported by AP and Reuters, Israel's mission in Geneva called for the Commission to be dissolved and described the report as a misinformation campaign. Israel denies the accusation of genocide and has long criticized the Commission.

What to watch

• The General Assembly: how member states respond to the report in the coming weeks, and whether any resolution follows.
• The International Criminal Court: AP noted the findings' relevance to the ICC's work. A Commission report is not evidence adopted by the court, so watch for whether prosecutors or judges cite it.
• Israel's response: whether the government moves beyond statements, for example on cooperation with UN bodies, and whether the ceasefire line in Gaza moves further.
• The ICJ opinion: the Commission asks Israel to comply with the July 2024 advisory opinion.

For markets, the direct effect today is limited. The more relevant thread for traders is the wider regional conflict, which we cover in the War Room.

Sources: OHCHR press release, 26 October 2026 (linked above); AP and Reuters for the Israeli-controlled share of Gaza, deaths along the front line and Israel's response. All casualty and displacement figures are the Commission's and are not verified by the Chronicle. This is news reporting, not legal analysis.