West Bank Airstrike Toll: UN Panel Reports 254 Deaths Since 2023

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry released a report on Monday stating that 254 Palestinians were killed by airstrikes in the West Bank between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026. This figure contrasts sharply with the six deaths recorded by the same body between 2008 and October 6, 2023.

The report accuses Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza. It claims these actions continue despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025. The panel described the conduct as part of a strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians while imposing unliveable conditions.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, the Indian jurist who chairs the commission, stated that the intentional killing of civilians and destruction of homes, combined with Israel's denial of responsibility, form part of this broader strategy. The panel noted that airstrikes became more frequent after Israel launched Operation Iron Wall in January 2025. This operation targeted refugee camps and areas near Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus.

Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry rejected the findings on Monday. The ministry labeled the report a propaganda document designed to undermine Israel's right to self-defense and delegitimize the state. It also said the report aimed to legitimize jihadist terrorism against Israeli citizens.

The commission cited specific statements from Israeli officials to assess military intent. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich referred to two million Nazis in the West Bank in November 2023 and argued for Israeli sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria in November 2024. In January 2025, he wrote that Fondouk, Nablus, and Jenin should look like Jabalia. IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth was also cited for a reported May 2026 statement that soldiers were killing like they have not since 1967.

The report details four verified cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees since March 2025. One case involved a male detainee at Megiddo Prison in 2025 who was allegedly blindfolded, forced to remove lower garments, and raped with objects during interrogation. Guards reportedly mocked him and threatened his family. The commission concluded that such acts formed part of a broader attack on the civilian population.

The panel also accused the Palestinian Authority of violating human rights. It cited arbitrary arrests, torture, and the targeting of journalists and activists. The report noted that the PA accepted responsibility for the death of a boy run over by a security vehicle in Ramallah, Tubas, or Jenin during October 2023 protests. It also investigated the December 2024 killing of a journalism student in Jenin, whose death the PA attributed to outlaws while key witnesses remained untestified.

The commission found that the Palestinian Authority failed to conduct prompt and impartial investigations into these killings. It stated that the PA violated the right to life and the right to security of person for its citizens.