UN: Iron Wall Campaign Kills 254 in West Bank

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry released a report on Monday detailing 254 Palestinian deaths caused by Israeli airstrikes in the West Bank between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2026. The panel found this figure represented a dramatic increase from the six deaths recorded in the same location between 2008 and October 6, 2023.

The commission accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in both the West Bank and Gaza. It stated that Israel continued genocidal acts with the intent to destroy the Palestinian people despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025. Srinivasan Muralidhar, the chair of the commission, said the intentional killing of civilians and destruction of homes formed part of a strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians.

The report linked the surge in casualties to Operation Iron Wall, which began in January 2025. The commission described the operation as a shift toward widespread destruction of housing and infrastructure, particularly in refugee camps and areas around Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus. It noted that almost 500 Palestinians are killed annually in the West Bank since 2022, the highest numbers recorded since data collection began in 2005.

Israeli officials responded with criticism. The Foreign Affairs Ministry called the document a propaganda piece detached from reality. The ministry argued the report aimed to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense and delegitimize the Jewish state. It also sought to legitimize jihadist terrorism against citizens.

The panel also examined statements from Israeli leaders. It cited Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who referred to two million Nazis in the West Bank in November 2023. In November 2024, Smotrich argued for Israeli sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria to remove the danger of a Palestinian terror state. The report also included a May 2026 statement by Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, who said Israeli soldiers were killing like they had not since 1967.

The commission verified four additional cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees since March 2025. Two victims were from the West Bank. One case involved a male detainee at Megiddo Prison in 2025 who was allegedly blindfolded, forced to remove his lower garments, and repeatedly raped with objects. The commission alleged these acts were not isolated incidents and formed part of a broader attack against the civilian population.

The report also accused the Palestinian Authority of suppressing dissent through arbitrary arrests and torture. It cited the December 2024 killing of a journalism student in Jenin, who was shot in the neck near her home. The PA blamed outlaws for the death, but the commission said key witnesses had not testified and that the PA failed to conduct effective investigations.