Israeli forces, Hamas and different Palestinian armed teams have each dedicated severe violations of worldwide humanitarian regulation in Gaza and carried out atrocity crimes, a U.N. report revealed on Thursday (February 19, 2026) mentioned.
Intensified Israeli assaults and the forcible switch of Palestinians appeared geared toward a everlasting demographic shift in Gaza, “elevating issues over ethnic cleaning,” the report by the U.N. human rights workplace mentioned.
The holding and mistreatment of hostages by the Hamas Islamist militant group could quantity to battle crimes, it mentioned.
Israel’s everlasting mission in Geneva dismissed the report’s findings about Israel’s actions, and mentioned in a press release that the U.N. human rights workplace had misplaced its credibility.
“Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner is engaged in a vicious marketing campaign of demonization and disinformation in opposition to the State of Israel,” it mentioned.
Hamas didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Ethnic cleaning issues
The 17-page report investigated occasions in Gaza from November 2024 to October 31, 2025.
Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing over 1,200 individuals and taking on 250 hostages, in accordance with Israeli tallies. Israel’s navy offensive in Gaza has killed greater than 72,000 individuals, the Palestinian well being ministry says.
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into pressure final October after two years of battle that broken buildings throughout Gaza, displaced most of its residents and led to a humanitarian disaster. Israel nonetheless holds over half the enclave.
Israel’s actions had imposed “situations of life more and more incompatible with Palestinians’ continued existence as a gaggle in Gaza”, the report mentioned.
Famine present in some elements of Gaza final August by a worldwide starvation monitor and malnutrition resulted immediately from Israel’s actions, the report mentioned.
Militarised distribution centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Basis (GHF) backed by Israel and the US “failed totally” to ship humanitarian support on the scale required, violating Israel’s obligations beneath worldwide humanitarian regulation, it mentioned.
Israeli practices in Gaza and the occupied West Financial institution indicated an accelerating effort to consolidate the annexation of huge elements of occupied Palestinian territory, with illegal use of pressure by Israeli safety forces, the report mentioned.
“Throughout the reporting interval, intensified assaults, the methodical destruction of whole neighbourhoods and the denial of humanitarian help appeared to goal at a everlasting demographic shift in Gaza,” it mentioned.
“This, along with forcible transfers, which seem to goal at a everlasting displacement, elevate issues over ethnic cleaning in Gaza and the West Financial institution.”
Considerations about Hamas’ Actions
The report discovered that the killing final June of 12 Palestinian workers related to the GHF by armed males, together with potential abstract executions, could quantity to battle crimes by Hamas. Hamas has declined to touch upon the shootings.
The report raised issues about the usage of civilians as human shields to stop Israeli assaults, one thing Hamas has denied doing, and outlined pointless or disproportionate use of pressure by the Palestinian Authority within the West Financial institution.
The holding of and mistreatment of hostages taken within the Hamas assault on Israel in 2023 could quantity to battle crimes and probably different atrocity crimes, the report mentioned. It cited allegations of torture, beating and deprivation of meals.
“There should even be accountability for severe violations of worldwide regulation, together with potential worldwide crimes, by Hamas and its armed wing, Al Qassam Brigades in addition to different Palestinian armed teams,” it mentioned.
Printed – February 19, 2026 09:20 pm IST