UN Panel Counts 254 West Bank Airstrike Deaths Since 2023

The United Nations Commission of Inquiry released a report on Monday that recorded 254 Palestinian deaths in the West Bank from Israeli airstrikes between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026. The panel stated that this figure represents a dramatic increase compared to the six deaths recorded by airstrikes in the same territory between 2008 and October 6, 2023.

The report accuses Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza. Srinivasan Muralidhar, the Indian jurist serving as the commission’s chair, said the intentional killing of civilians and destruction of homes in the West Bank, combined with Israel’s denial of responsibility, forms part of a strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians.

The commission found that airstrikes became more frequent after the launch of Operation Iron Wall in January 2025. These strikes targeted refugee camps and areas around Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus. The panel described the operation as a shift toward widespread destruction of housing and infrastructure, citing the IDF's stated aim to dismantle structures that endangered military forces.

The report analyzed statements made by senior Israeli officials to assess intent. It cited Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who referred to “two million Nazis” in the West Bank in November 2023. In January 2025, Smotrich wrote that the cities of Fondouk, Nablus, and Jenin should “look like Jabalia.” The commission also noted a reported May 2026 statement by Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, chief of the IDF Central Command, who said soldiers were “killing like we haven’t since 1967.”

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry rejected the findings on Monday. The ministry called the document a “propaganda document detached from reality” that aims to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense. It also stated the report seeks to delegitimize the Jewish state and legitimize jihadist terrorism against its citizens.

The commission verified four additional cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees since its March 2025 report. Two victims were from the West Bank. The cases included allegations of gang rape, genital violence, and forced nudity. One specific case involved a male detainee at Megiddo Prison in 2025 who was allegedly blindfolded and raped with objects during interrogation.

The panel concluded that these acts of torture and sexual violence were not isolated incidents. It stated that Israeli authorities and security forces committed crimes against humanity involving these abuses. Israel previously rejected such allegations, describing them as unfounded and disputing the commission's verification methods.

The report also identified wrongdoings by the Palestinian Authority. The panel accused the PA of suppressing political dissent through arbitrary arrests, detention, and torture. It cited the October 2023 protests in the West Bank, 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 investigated the December 2024 killing of a Palestinian journalism student in Jenin refugee camp. She had documented alleged abuses by security forces and was killed by a single shot to the neck near her home. The PA spokesman blamed “outlaws” for the killing, but the commission said key witnesses had not been asked to testify.

The panel concluded that the Palestinian Authority violated the right to life and the right to security of person. It found that the PA failed to conduct prompt, effective, and impartial investigations into these killings or provide effective remedies to the victims' families.