UN probe accuses Israel of extermination in West Bank as Gaza genocide allegations persist

The United Nations-mandated investigators have accused Israel of committing "extermination" in the West Bank, while continuing "genocide" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. According to the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, Israeli forces have also committed other crimes against humanity and war crimes in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

In a new report released before Israel's general election, the commission found that Israeli authorities and forces have committed the crimes of extermination, torture, rape, and other forms of sexual violence, as well as persecution based on discriminatory grounds of nationality, race, and ethnicity. The commission determined that the Israeli authorities intended to collectively punish West Bank civilians for the Hamas attack from Gaza in October 2023, indicating a high level of coordination and organized planning.

The commission's report highlights the deteriorating conditions in the West Bank, with Israeli authorities intentionally killing and injuring Palestinian civilians and destroying homes. The commission found that these actions are part of a broader strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians, imposing conditions of life that are unliveable.

The report also criticized the Palestinian Authority for targeting dissenters and failing to conduct impartial investigations into killings. The UN Human Rights Council established the three-member investigative team in 2021, with South African former High Court judge Navi Pillay chairing the investigation until November 2025.