UN report lists 254 West Bank airstrike deaths since 2023

A United Nations commission accused Israel and the Palestinian Authority of human rights violations in a report released on Monday.

The document states that Israel committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza. It also found that the Palestinian Authority engaged in arbitrary arrests and torture. The report notes that Hamas was mentioned twice but was not accused of specific crimes.

The commission recorded a sharp rise in Palestinian deaths caused by airstrikes in the West Bank. Between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026, 254 Palestinians were killed by airstrikes. In the previous 15 years, only six were killed by airstrikes. The report says almost 500 Palestinians die annually in the West Bank, the highest number since data collection began in 2005.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, the chair of the Commission of Inquiry, said the killing of civilians and destruction of homes form part of a strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians. He stated that Israel’s denial of responsibility makes the conditions of life unlivable.

The report links the increase in airstrikes to Operation Iron Wall, which began in January 2025. The commission described the operation as a shift toward widespread destruction of housing and the clearing of refugee camps. Affects areas included Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus.

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry called the report a propaganda document. The ministry said the report aims to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense and delegitimize the Jewish state. It also accused the commission of legitimizing jihadist terrorism against Israeli citizens.

The commission verified four new cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees since March 2025. Two victims were from the West Bank. One case involved a male detainee at Megiddo Prison who was allegedly blindfolded and raped with objects during interrogation. The commission said the detainee suffered rectal bleeding without receiving medical treatment.

The report also detailed abuses by the Palestinian Authority. It cited the October 2023 protests where at least two men, a boy, and a girl were killed in Ramallah, Tubas, and Jenin. The PA accepted responsibility for the death of the boy, who was run over by a security vehicle. The commission also investigated the December 2024 killing of a journalism student in Jenin. She was killed by a single shot to the neck near her home. The commission concluded that the PA violated the right to life and failed to conduct effective investigations.

The next step is for the UN General Assembly to review the findings. No further action is scheduled immediately.