UN commission says Israel continues to commit war crimes in Gaza despite ceasefire

Israeli authorities and forces have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity across the occupied Palestinian territories and continue to commit genocidal acts in Gaza despite a ceasefire agreement, a UN commission said Monday. More than 75,000 Palestinians have been killed across the Occupied Palestinian Territory since Oct. 7, 2023, including at least 21,500 children and 11,000 women, Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar told the UN General Assembly.

Israeli forces continue to kill and injure civilians, including children, who approach or cross the Yellow Line in Gaza, the commission said in its latest report. Despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, the Israeli army has continued daily attacks in Gaza, killing at least 1,551 Palestinians and injuring 5,573 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The situation in the occupied West Bank has also deteriorated sharply, with Israeli military operations and violence by Israeli occupiers forming part of what the commission described as a coordinated attack against Palestinians.

The report identifies the expansion of settlements, annexation of Palestinian territory and displacement of residents as objectives of these actions. Israel has committed crimes against humanity in the West Bank including extermination, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, the commission said. It also found that Palestinian children had been persecuted because of their age and that gender-based violence was being used to displace, subjugate and destabilize Palestinians.

The report also said Palestinian security forces had increasingly used unnecessary or disproportionate force against Palestinians in the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023. The Palestinian Authority has failed to conduct effective and impartial investigations into killings or provide remedies for victims and their families. Muralidhar called on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territory, evacuate settlements and remove obstacles to Palestinian self-determination.

He also urged UN member states to stop providing political, military, economic or financial assistance that helps maintain the occupation and settlements. States must use all available means to prevent and punish genocide and support the International Criminal Court, particularly amid recent US sanctions against the court and its officials, he said. Muralidhar delivered his statement by video conference after failing to obtain a visa to travel to New York, despite his efforts to secure one.