UN report says 254 Palestinians died in West Bank airstrikes since 2023

A United Nations commission released a report on Monday stating that 254 Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes in the West Bank between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026. This figure represents a sharp increase from the six deaths recorded by the same panel between 2008 and early October 2023. The document, issued by the Commission of Inquiry, accuses both Israel and the Palestinian Authority of committing human rights violations in the territory.

The report identifies a surge in aerial attacks following the launch of Operation Iron Wall in January 2025. According to the findings, these strikes focused heavily on refugee camps and the areas surrounding Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus. The commission described the operation as a shift toward widespread destruction of housing and infrastructure, citing the Israeli Defense Forces’ aim to dismantle structures that endangered military forces.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, an Indian jurist serving as the chair of the commission, stated that the killing of civilians and destruction of homes formed part of a strategy to displace Palestinians. He noted that Israel’s persistent denial of responsibility contributed to conditions of life he described as unliveable. The report also claims that Israel continues to commit genocidal acts with the intent to destroy the Palestinian people, despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025.

The document includes verified cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees. Since a previous report in March 2025, the commission confirmed four additional cases, two of which involved victims from the West Bank. One instance involved a male detainee at Megiddo Prison in 2025 who was allegedly blindfolded, forced into nudity, and raped with objects during interrogation. Guards reportedly mocked the detainee and threatened his family, while he suffered rectal bleeding without medical treatment.

The report also addresses the conduct of the Palestinian Authority, accusing it of suppressing dissent through arbitrary arrests and targeting journalists. It highlights the December 2024 killing of a journalism student in Jenin refugee camp, who was shot in the neck near her home after documenting alleged abuses by security forces. The PA spokesman blamed outlaws for the death, though the commission found that key witnesses had not been called to testify.

Israeli officials provided statements that the commission analyzed to assess military intentions. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich referred to two million Nazis in the West Bank in November 2023 and later advocated for Israeli sovereignty over settlements in Judea and Samaria. In January 2025, he wrote that Nablus and Jenin should look like Jabalia. Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, chief of the IDF Central Command, was reported in May 2026 to have said soldiers were killing like they had not since 1967.

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry responded to the release on Monday, calling the document a propaganda effort detached from reality. The ministry argued the report aims to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense and delegitimize the state while legitimizing terrorism. Previous allegations by the commission regarding systematic sexual violence were previously rejected by Israel, which cited existing IDF rules and investigation mechanisms.