UN report: Fears of ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank, and a call for accountability

The office today released a report covering the period between November 1, 2024 and October 31, 2025. The report said: “The intense attacks, the systematic destruction of entire neighborhoods and the denial of humanitarian aid appear aimed at causing a permanent demographic shift in Gaza.”

The report added that this – along with forced transfer, which appears to be aimed at permanent displacement – raises concerns about the risk of ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank.

In Gaza, the report details the continued killing and maiming of unprecedented numbers of civilians during the period it covers by Israeli forces, the spread of famine and the destruction of remaining civilian infrastructure, and the imposition of living conditions on Palestinians increasingly disproportionate to their continued presence in Gaza as a group.

The report also states that the tactics of deadly attacks in Gaza raise serious concerns that Israeli forces deliberately targeted civilians and civilian objects, and launched attacks knowing that the harm to civilians would be excessive compared to the anticipated military advantages. He said that such actions constitute war crimes.

The report details the deaths of at least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, due to severe hunger in the Gaza Strip. He pointed out that famine and malnutrition are directly caused by actions taken by the Israeli government, such as preventing the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

He said that starvation of the civilian population as a method of war constitutes a war crime and may also be considered a crime against humanity if it occurs as part of a systematic or widespread attack on the civilian population. It may also constitute genocide if carried out with the intention of destroying all or part of a national, racial, ethnic or religious group.

West Bank

In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the report detailed the systematic unlawful use of force by Israeli security forces, widespread arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment of Palestinians in detention, and the massive unlawful demolition of Palestinian homes.

The report said that these practices were used to systematically discriminate against the Palestinian people, oppress them, and impose control and domination over them. The report also noted disturbing incidents of unnecessary or disproportionate use of force by the Palestinian Authority.

During the reporting period, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continued to hold Israeli and foreign hostages they took on 7 October 2023, along with the bodies of those who died or were killed in detention, as objects of barter.

The UN report referred to public testimonies from released hostages who spoke of committing sexual and gender-based violence, torture, beatings, prolonged underground detention, and deprivation of food, water, and sanitation.

The report documents the deaths of 79 Palestinians in Israeli custody during the period it covers, and highlights that Palestinians detained from Gaza remain particularly vulnerable to torture and ill-treatment.

Impunity

The UN Human Rights Office report details the widespread climate of impunity for gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by Israeli authorities in the occupied Palestinian territory. It highlights the lack of meaningful steps taken by the Israeli judicial system regarding accountability for such violations.

Among its recommendations, the report urges all states to stop the sale, transfer and transfer of arms, ammunition and other military equipment to Israel that facilitates violations in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The report indicated continued efforts to advance the “comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza” led by the United States of America, and said that the absence of any steps to ensure accountability for violations since October 7 is a critical gap.

The UN report said that “justice for the victims must lay the foundation for the reconstruction of Gaza” and called on countries to ensure immediate Palestinian participation in governance structures to determine and shape the reconstruction of Gaza.

Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “Impunity is not an abstract concept, but it leads to killing. Accountability is indispensable. It is the precondition for a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel.”