UN Commission Says Israel Continued Genocidal Acts in Gaza During Ceasefire

A United Nations commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel continued to commit genocide in Gaza after the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect, and it warns that conditions for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have also worsened. Israel has rejected the report.

What the UN Commission Found on Gaza

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel covered the period from the start of the war through September 2026. It said Israeli authorities continued to carry out genocidal acts with the intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, in whole or in part. The report also documents violations against Palestinian children. The commission presented its findings to the UN Security Council.

Heavy Weapons and the Expanding “Yellow Line”

The commission said Israeli forces continued to use heavy munitions, drones, quadcopters, artillery and sniper fire in densely populated parts of Gaza during the ceasefire. It also raised concerns about the “Yellow Line,” first presented as a temporary boundary under the truce. According to the report, the line has moved further into Gaza and increasingly works as a de facto border, reflecting an expansion of Israeli territorial control. Palestinian authorities put the death toll from Israel’s military campaign at more than 74,000. The war began after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel.

West Bank Airstrike Deaths and Displacement

The commission documented a sharp rise in Palestinian deaths from Israeli airstrikes in the West Bank: six in the 15 years before the war began, compared with 254 since. Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said the intentional killing of civilians and destruction of homes were part of a wider strategy aimed at exterminating and displacing Palestinians. Israeli military operations since January 2025 have caused the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967, the report said, with 34,176 people still displaced as of August. The commission also criticized the Palestinian Authority, accusing it of targeting Palestinians who express dissenting views, and said journalists and human rights defenders had been killed or injured.

Israel Rejects the UN Report

Israel rejected the findings and described the report as part of a campaign of misinformation meant to damage its standing, Reuters reported. Daniel Meron, Israel’s ambassador in Geneva, said efforts to undermine Israel’s legitimacy and deny its right to exist and defend itself continue through bodies such as the commission.

Background: Earlier Findings and What the Commission Is

The same commission concluded in a 2025 report that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and that senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had incited such acts. Israel rejected those accusations as well. The commission is a UN-mandated investigative body, not a court, and legal determinations of genocide are made by courts such as the International Court of Justice.

Sources: Tovima / Reuters