UN Human Rights Council commission accuses Israel of crimes, Israel rejects report
A UN-appointed inquiry alleges crimes against humanity by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza, while Israel’s mission in Geneva denounced the findings as inaccurate and politically motivated.
The United Nations Human Rights Council-appointed Independent International Commission of Inquiry released a 19-page report accusing Israel of crimes against humanity, including extermination in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and genocide in Gaza. The commission said Israeli military actions since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack constituted a "widespread and systematic attack" on Palestinian civilians, citing alleged extermination, torture, sexual violence and policies aimed at displacing Palestinian Arabs.
The report also criticized Operation Iron Wall, launched in Jan. 2025, for causing extensive destruction and displacement in northern Samaria, and reiterated earlier claims of genocide in Gaza based on Israeli airstrikes after the Oct. 2025 ceasefire. It called for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and provide compensation to victims.
Israel’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva rejected the findings, describing the report as part of a campaign to undermine Israel’s legitimacy and distort history. The mission said the commission’s conclusions "fundamentally distort history" and "misrepresent Israel’s defensive actions". Israeli Ambassador Daniel Meron added that efforts to delegitimize the state continue through such inquiries.
The commission also examined the conduct of Palestinian Authority security forces, reporting violations including killings of civilians and suppression of journalists. It urged independent investigations and prosecutions of alleged abuses by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
The commission plans to present the report to the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.