UN investigators report 1,143 West Bank deaths since 2023

United Nations investigators concluded on Monday that Israeli forces and government authorities have committed crimes against humanity in the occupied West Bank.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry stated that these actions include extermination, torture, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. The report covers the period from October 2023 to October 9, 2026.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 1,143 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during that timeframe. At least 250 of the deceased were children. The commission noted that these deaths resulted from military operations and sustained settler violence.

The panel found that Israeli authorities intended to collectively punish West Bank civilians following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. This intent formed the core of what the investigators described as a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population. The report also highlighted persecution based on nationality, race, and ethnicity.

Navi Pillay, a former South African High Court judge who chaired the investigation until November 2025, received the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month. The three-member team was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021. The commission previously determined in September 2025 that Israel committed genocide in Gaza.

Israel’s mission in Geneva rejected the findings in a statement. The mission described the report as part of a misinformation campaign designed to demonize the state and portray its existence as criminal. The mission called on the international community to demand the immediate dissolution of the commission.

The report was released the day before Israel’s general election. At the same time, Israeli forces were conducting a clampdown in Hebron that included expulsions and demolitions. This operation followed a gun attack in the city last week.