Israel 'continues to commit genocidal acts' in Gaza, UN commission says

A year after an UN-backed independent body tasked to probe abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories concluded Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, it said Israel is still operating with "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians in Gaza."

In their new report released (PDF) on 26 October, investigators said Israel's genocidal actions persist despite a "ceasefire" that began a year ago, referencing attacks on residences and further land seizure of occupied Gaza past the so-called "Yellow Line." (Israel denied the body's conclusions on genocide.)

The human rights experts also looked into reports of sexual violence and rape against people who tried to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza through the Global Sumud Flotilla and against male detainees in Israeli detention.

"The commission also finds that the acts of sexual violence continue to be a part of a pattern to destroy the Palestinian as a group in Gaza," it said.

Their updated conclusions was part of a report that heavily focused on Israeli actions in the West Bank (more on that later).

"Furthermore, the Commission found that much of the killing and harm caused to Palestinians is a direct result of Israel’s expansion of territorial control," it declared.

Welcome to Gaza Notes, a Conflict Journal installment following the latest developments on the Palestinian territory under Israel's siege.

In Gaza

At least five people were killed, and dozens others, by Israeli air strikes on Khan Younis and Gaza City on 26 October.

Gaza's public works and housing ministry claimed that a refugee camp in eastern Gaza City was burned by the Israeli army and reported that 800 people have been displaced as a result.

The New Arab also reported that "several Israeli tanks and military vehicles advanced further" past the "Yellow Line" marking Israel's presence in Gaza.

Israeli air strikes on 25 October repeatedly attacked the Islamic University in Gaza City, where three were killed. Al Jazeera reported that in-person classes at the university were canceled for the week.

"A sense of security is painfully out of reach, even inside the place where students are supposed to be learning without the fear of these attacks," Al Jazeera reporter Hani Mahmoud said of attacks on the university.

In Israel and wider Palestine

Israelis are heading to vote on 27 October in what are the first-ever legislative elections held after the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 three years ago.

"While much of the world’s attention is focused on Israel’s upcoming parliamentary elections, Palestinians who have endured decades of crimes and systematic violations at the hands of successive Israeli governments have little reason to expect the outcome to deliver positive human rights change," Amnesty International's senior director Erika Guervara Rosas said.

"Millions of people, including Palestinians in the OPT, as well as civilians in Lebanon and Syria, face the consequences of Israeli policies and actions, yet have no say or vote in the elections that will impact their lives."

In the West Bank

The UN-backed body of independent experts concluded that Israel is committing crimes against humanity in the West Bank, in part because it was seeing "the import of the Gaza strategy of total destruction into West Bank operations."

The human rights experts cited how more than 34,000 Palestinians are still displaced in the West Bank this August due to ongoing forced evictions by Israeli military actions since 2025. More evictions are happening in Hebron this week.

It also found evidence of Israeli rules of engagement persecuting "exclusively" against Palestinians in the West Bank.

"Similar to Gaza, the commission finds that, in the West Bank, Palestinian children are deliberately targeted on discriminatory grounds based on their age," it said.

Worth a look

• There are two beaches in Israel's Jaffa and Gaza's Gaza City just forty miles apart in distance, but they're worlds apart, a NPR piece details.
• Al Jazeera looked at how children with visual and hearing disabilities are missing school due to Israel's war on Gaza.
• Mondoweiss has a feature on the private generator economy as Gazans deal with a destroyed power grid.
• Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza shared on Instagram that he met with the mayor of Paris, where they had "an open conversation" about Palestine.
• "Netanyahu may lose the Israeli elections, that won't save Gaza from occupation," a Palestinian writer shared at Truthout.

Additional reading

• The Arab League's security general told the UN chief that Gaza is testing the international community's credibility in a meeting on 25 October.
• Haaretz published a feature (paywall) that exposed Israel's $1 billion expenditure on repairing fencing that borders Gaza.
• Albania and Kosovo announced further steps into their role as part of the US-backed "international stabilization force" for occupied Gaza.
• Lana Nusseibeh, an UAE diplomat, submitted her name to become the next UN chief—and she's known for her Gaza aid work and Palestine advocacy.