'Legitimazes Jihad': Foreign Affairs Ministry slams UN report accusing Israel of genocide

The Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday called the report from a United Nations commission accusing Israel of genocide a "propaganda document detached from reality, aimed at undermining Israel’s right to self-defense, delegitimizing the Jewish state, and legitimizing jihadist terrorism against its citizens."

The UN commission released a report Monday accusing Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza.

The report also mentioned wrongdoings by the Palestinian Authority, claiming that it had pushed for arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and the targeting of journalists, activists and human rights defenders.

In contrast, Hamas is named exactly twice, and neither mention accused Hamas of committing a crime or other wrongdoing.

The UN reported an increase in the number of Palestinian deaths in the West Bank, with almost 500 Palestinians killed annually in the West Bank since 2022, which were the highest numbers recorded since the UN started collecting data on the topic in 2005.

The report also claimed that Israel is continuing to commit “genocidal acts” with the “intent to destroy the Palestinian people, in whole or in part” in spite of a ceasefire agreement that went into effect in October 2025.

The report focused on Palestinian casualties in the West Bank due to Israeli military action and settler violence, as well as analysis of elected MKs and senior military officials.

“The intentional killing and injuring of Palestinian civilians and destruction of homes in the West Bank combined with Israel’s persistent denial of responsibility form part of a broader strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians and impose conditions of life that are unliveable,” said Srinivasan Muralidhar, an Indian jurist who currently serves as the chair of the Commission of Inquiry.

Report cites increase in West Bank airstrike deaths

The Commission reported a sharp increase in Palestinian deaths caused by airstrikes in the West Bank since October 7, 2023. Six Palestinians were killed by airstrikes between 2008 and October 6, 2023, compared with 254 between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026, according to the commission’s findings.

It said airstrikes had become more frequent following the launch of Operation Iron Wall in January 2025, particularly in refugee camps and areas around Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas and Nablus.

The Commission described the operation as a shift toward widespread destruction of Palestinian housing and infrastructure and the clearing of refugee camps. It cited the IDF's stated aim to “dismantle and restor[e] the operational freedom of action for IDF forces”, while reconstruction of the infrastructure is considered to be “endangering the citizens of the State of Israel and the military forces”.

Commission's analysis of statements by Israeli officials

The commission also cited statements by Israeli officials including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and IDF Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth in assessing Israeli military conduct and the intentions behind operations in the West Bank.

Smotrich referred to “two million Nazis” in the West Bank in November 2023, citing a poll on Palestinian support for the October 7 Hamas massacre. In November 2024, he said “The only way to remove the danger of a Palestinian terror state from the agenda is to apply Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlement in the entire Judea and Samaria,” he said.

In January 2025, he wrote that Fondouk, Nablus and Jenin should “look like Jabalia,”.

The Commission also highlighted a reported May 2026 statement by Bluth that Israeli soldiers were “killing like we haven’t since 1967.”

Report alleges sexual violence against detainees

The Commission said it had verified four additional cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees since its March 2025 report on gender-based violence. Two victims were from the West Bank. The cases included alleged gang rape, genital violence, groping, threats of sexual violence, forced nudity, and searches conducted without an apparent security justification.

One case involved a male detainee at Megiddo Prison in 2025. He was allegedly blindfolded, forced to remove his lower garments, and repeatedly raped with objects during interrogation.

The Commission alleged that guards mocked and photographed him, threatened to mutilate his genitals and threatened sexual violence against his family and colleagues. The detainee reportedly suffered serious injuries, including rectal bleeding, without receiving medical treatment.

The Commission claimed that the cases it investigated involving torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence were not isolated incidents. It alleged that these acts formed part of a broader attack against the civilian population and concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces had committed crimes against humanity involving torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Israel has rejected previous allegations by the Commission of Inquiry that its forces systematically used sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinian detainees, describing the claims as unfounded and disputing the Commission's verification methods. In a March 2025 response, the Foreign Ministry said the IDF had rules prohibiting such misconduct and mechanisms for investigating allegations.

Commission also reports abuses by Palestinian Authority

The report also accused the Palestinian Authority of suppressing political dissent through arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and the targeting of journalists, activists and human rights defenders.

It cited reports of excessive force during West Bank protests in October 2023, when at least two men, a boy and a girl, were killed in Ramallah, Tubas and Jenin. The PA accepted responsibility for the death of the boy, who was run over by a security forces vehicle during clashes with protesters.

The Commission also investigated the December 2024 killing of a Palestinian journalism student in Jenin refugee camp who had documented alleged abuses by Palestinian security forces. Witnesses said a security force member had threatened to shoot her the previous day. She was killed by a single shot to the neck near her home.

The report said information conflicted on whether clashes were underway at the time. Palestinian security forces had a significant presence in the area, and their spokesman blamed the killing on “outlaws,” saying the case was under investigation. The Commission said key witnesses had not been asked to testify.

It also reported cases of arbitrary detention, including instances in which the PA allegedly ignored court orders for detainees' release.

The Commission concluded that the PA had violated the right to life and the right to security of person and had failed to conduct prompt, effective and impartial investigations into killings or provide effective remedies to victims and their families.