74,000 dead in Gaza since truce, UN panel finds

Palestinian authorities recorded more than 74,000 deaths in Gaza following the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. A new United Nations report released Monday details how Israeli military operations have persisted in the enclave since that date.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry found that Israeli forces used heavy munitions, drones, artillery, and sniper fire in densely populated areas during the truce. The panel concluded that these actions demonstrated a continuing intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, in whole or in part.

The report also details a shift in border control, noting that the temporary "Yellow Line" demarcation has encroached into Gaza. The commission described this line as becoming a de facto border, reflecting Israel's expanding territorial control over the territory.

In the West Bank, the panel documented 254 Palestinian deaths in airstrikes between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026. This figure represents a sharp increase from the six deaths recorded in airstrikes between 2008 and October 6, 2023. Military operations since January 2025 have displaced 34,176 Palestinians as of August 2026, the highest number since 1967.

Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar stated that the intentional killing of civilians and destruction of homes in the West Bank are part of a strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians. The panel also documented six recent cases of sexual violence against male detainees from Gaza at the Sde Teiman military prison.

Israel rejected the findings, with Ambassador Daniel Meron calling the report part of a campaign to undermine the Jewish state's legitimacy. The Israeli mission in Geneva described the report as misinformation, arguing it denies Israel's right to defend itself.

The report was submitted to the UN Security Council, where it also criticized the Palestinian Authority for targeting dissenting voices and injuring human rights defenders.