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UN Says Israel Continued Gaza Genocide Despite Ceasefire — AI-generated representative image. The exterior of a United Nations building in Geneva, following the release of a UN Commission of Inquiry report on Gaza and t

Editorial Team

New UN report accuses Israeli forces of targeting civilians in Gaza and the West Bank amid a deadlocked truce

Israel has continued committing genocide in Gaza despite last year's US-brokered ceasefire, while also perpetrating crimes against humanity in the occupied West Bank, the UN Commission of Inquiry has concluded. The findings were published in a report released on Monday.

The October 10, 2025 truce was intended to end Israel's offensive in Gaza, but the commission says Israeli forces have kept striking the territory while accusing Hamas of ceasefire violations.

The report arrives at a pivotal moment for Israel, on the eve of its first parliamentary election since the October 7, 2023 attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting scrutiny over security failures, legal troubles, and an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, while the ceasefire's next phase remains stalled over Hamas disarmament.

The commission's conclusions reinforce earlier findings and add international pressure at a time when the humanitarian toll and political stakes are both escalating.

Key Findings of the Report

The commission accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting Palestinian civilians, including children, under discriminatory rules of engagement and with near-total impunity. It described military operations and settler violence in the West Bank as a widespread and systematic attack on civilians.

Since the ceasefire and through September 30, Israeli attacks killed 1,431 Palestinians in Gaza, including 300 children and 130 women.
Israeli forces killed 1,080 Palestinians and injured 10,940 in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 2023.
The overall Palestinian death toll across the occupied territories now exceeds 75,000, including at least 21,500 children and 11,000 women.

The commission also documented rape, torture, and sexual violence intended to fracture, expel, humiliate, and subjugate Palestinians.

Background of the Conflict

The Gaza offensive began after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack, in which around 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced most of Gaza's population.

The latest findings build on the commission's initial September 2025 conclusion that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians, citing four of the five genocidal acts under the 1948 Genocide Convention. International bodies, including Israeli rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, have also accused Israel of genocide.

Over the past three years, Israel's Gaza offensive has expanded into fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon and direct military clashes with Iran.

Israel's Response and Official Statements

Israel has rejected the allegations of genocide and war crimes. Responding to the new report, its Geneva mission demanded the UN commission's dissolution, accusing it of a misinformation campaign to demonize the state of Israel and portray its very existence as criminal.

Ambassador Daniel Meron said the panel seeks to undermine Israel's legitimacy and deny its fundamental right to exist and defend itself. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich earlier this month urged Israel to seize Gaza and launch a similar operation in the West Bank, describing the enclave as a terror entity.

The prime minister has also acknowledged expanding military control beyond the original Yellow Line, which initially left Israel holding around 53 percent of Gaza. With Israeli forces now controlling more than 60 percent, Netanyahu has ordered the military to extend that to 70 percent.

Ceasefire Deadlock and Elections Ahead

More than a year after the truce took effect, its next phase, covering reconstruction, governance arrangements, and further Israeli troop withdrawals, remains deadlocked over Hamas disarmament. Hamas has said it will not surrender its weapons without a complete Israeli withdrawal and an end to strikes, while Netanyahu demands full disarmament first.

Final polls show a tight race between Netanyahu's Likud and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party, projected to win 18-30 and 21-23 seats respectively. Neither bloc is assured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.