West Bank Casualties: UN Commission Reports 254 Airstrike Deaths Since 2023

A United Nations commission accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza, a finding Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday called a propaganda document detached from reality. The ministry stated the report aimed to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense and delegitimize the Jewish state while legitimizing jihadist terrorism against its citizens.

The report documented a sharp increase in Palestinian deaths caused by airstrikes in the West Bank following October 7, 2023. Between 2008 and October 6, 2023, six Palestinians were killed by airstrikes. From October 7, 2023, through September 30, 2026, that number rose to 254. The commission noted these figures represent almost 500 Palestinian deaths annually in the West Bank since 2022, the highest count recorded since the UN began collecting data in 2005.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, the Indian jurist serving as chair of the Commission of Inquiry, described the killing and injuring of civilians and destruction of homes as part of a strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians. He said Israel’s persistent denial of responsibility imposes unliveable conditions of life. The commission claimed Israel is continuing genocidal acts with the intent to destroy the Palestinian people despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025.

The panel linked the surge in casualties to Operation Iron Wall, which began in January 2025. Airstrikes became more frequent in refugee camps and areas around Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus. The commission characterized the operation as a shift toward widespread destruction of housing and infrastructure. It cited the Israeli Defense Forces’ stated aim to dismantle operational freedom of action for forces if reconstruction endangers Israeli citizens and military assets.

The report assessed statements by Israeli officials to determine military intent. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich referred to two million Nazis in the West Bank in November 2023. In November 2024, he said applying Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlement in the entire Judea and Samaria was the only way to remove the danger of a Palestinian terror state. In January 2025, he wrote that Fondouk, Nablus, and Jenin should look like Jabalia. Major General Avi Bluth, the IDF Central Command chief, reportedly said in May 2026 that soldiers were killing like they had not since 1967.

The commission verified four additional cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees since a March 2025 report. Two victims were from the West Bank. One case involved a male detainee at Megiddo Prison in 2025 who was allegedly blindfolded, forced to remove lower garments, and repeatedly raped with objects. The detainee suffered rectal bleeding without medical treatment, and guards allegedly mocked and photographed him. The panel concluded these acts formed part of a broader attack on the civilian population.

The report also accused the Palestinian Authority of violating the right to life and security of person. It cited arbitrary arrests, detention, and torture, as well as the targeting of journalists and activists. In December 2024, a Palestinian journalism student in Jenin refugee camp was killed by a single shot to the neck after documenting alleged abuses by security forces. The PA blamed outlaws for the killing, though the commission said key witnesses had not been asked to testify.