UN Inquiry: 74,000 Gaza Deaths as Ceasefire Holds

A United Nations commission concluded Monday that Israel continued to commit genocide in Gaza after the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect last October.

The report, issued by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, covers the period from the start of the war on October 7, 2023, through September 2026. It cites a total of more than 74,000 deaths in Gaza, a figure provided by Palestinian authorities. The panel states that Israeli forces maintained "genocidal intent" to destroy Palestinians in the enclave. In the West Bank, the commission recorded 254 Palestinian deaths from airstrikes between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026, up from six such deaths in the preceding 15 years. Military operations since January 2025 have left 34,176 Palestinians displaced in the West Bank as of August 2026, the highest number since 1967.

Ambassador Daniel Meron, head of the Israeli mission in Geneva, rejected the findings in a statement. He described the report as part of a "misinformation campaign" designed to undermine Israel's legitimacy. Meron said the effort to destroy the Jewish state continues through actors like the commission. The panel also accused Israeli soldiers and prison guards of war crimes, including extermination and sexual violence. It documented six specific cases of sexual violence against male detainees from Gaza at the Sde Teiman military prison.

The commission noted that Israeli forces used heavy munitions, drones, and sniper fire in densely populated areas during the ceasefire. The report argues that the "Yellow Line," a temporary demarcation, has become a de facto border, reflecting expanding territorial control. Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar stated that the killing of civilians and destruction of homes in the West Bank form a strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians. The panel also criticized the Palestinian Authority for targeting dissenting voices and injuring journalists.

This finding follows a previous report from September 2025, which accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials of inciting genocidal acts. That earlier report was also dismissed by Israel as scandalous. The current report was submitted to the UN Security Council.