Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank continue to endure serious human rights abuses by Israeli forces, settlers, and Hamas, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry said on June 9, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The report revealed Palestinians are caught amid mass atrocities committed by Israeli security forces and settlers, alongside brutal control exerted by Hamas [1, 3, 4].
Since October 2023, at least 1,080 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to the Commission and corroborated by official figures [1, 4]. Meanwhile, Israeli sources report 46 Israelis have been killed by Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the same period [1]. Settler violence has sharply increased, with a 130% surge in attacks on Palestinian villages and farmland since 2023 [2]. Between January 2023 and December 2025, settlers killed 26 Palestinians and injured at least 1,570 others in the West Bank [1]. In 2025 alone, settler violence injured 832 Palestinians [2].
The Commission documented particular settler crimes including assault, abduction, and abuse of Palestinian children. For example, on April 19, 2025, a 12-year-old girl and her 3-year-old brother were abducted and tied to a tree until they were rescued [2]. Srinivasan Muralidhar, the Commission Chair, said, "Violence by settlers is the direct outcome of Israeli policies that support, enable and protect their actions" [1]. The report states that Israeli security forces routinely accompany settlers and act as a shield during their attacks. "The increasing participation of Israeli security forces in settler attacks amounts to a de facto collapse of the distinction between settlers and soldiers," the report said [2]. Israeli officials reject these claims, calling them unsubstantiated or isolated incidents under investigation [2, 5].
In Gaza, the Commission highlighted that Hamas maintains a predatory and fear-based rule, violently repressing civilians [1, 3, 4]. The group has also committed war crimes, including executions and torture, and abused civilians in facilities such as the Nasser Medical Complex [4]. The report noted Hamas has exploited the power vacuum created by widespread destruction from Israeli attacks, although this finding has medium confidence [1].
The UN Commission called on Israel to end its occupation and remove all settlements to halt the escalating violence and rights violations [4]. The report follows an escalation triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which fueled heightened violence in Gaza and the West Bank [1, 3].
The UN’s findings mark the latest detailed international documentation of abuses affecting Palestinians caught between army operations, settler violence, and Hamas control. The Commission’s conclusions come as the conflict and violence continue without a set resolution or ceasefire date.
