UN panel accuses Israel of extermination crimes in West Bank

An independent UN-mandated expert group accuses Israel of crimes against humanity, including "extermination," against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to a new report. The commission states Israeli authorities and forces conducted "widespread and systematic attacks" on civilians, including settler violence, with intent to "collectively punish" them following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The alleged crimes include torture, rape, and persecution. Israel's UN ambassador dismissed the report as a "disinformation campaign" and called for the panel's dissolution. Separately, the UN human rights chief expressed serious concerns about ethnic cleansing risks amid Israel's military operation in Hebron.