NEW YORK CITY: The chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has warned that Palestinians are being caught in a pincer movement of violence. According to Justice Srinivasan Muralidhar, one system of violence is entrenched in the occupied West Bank and enabled by the Israeli state, while another emerges from the devastation in Gaza and is enforced by Hamas.
“They are trapped,” stated Muralidhar, a former chief justice of India’s Orissa High Court who assumed leadership of the three-member commission in November. “Trapped from both ends. The borders are all sealed, security forces surround them, and they must also contend with Palestinian armed groups.”
This central theme is highlighted in the commission’s latest report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The report notes that settler attacks in the West Bank surged by 130 percent in a single year. Concurrently, in Gaza, Hamas-affiliated groups have reportedly carried out hundreds of instances of execution, beatings, and mutilation against the population they govern.
“They are sandwiched between two groups that disregard the rule of law and any concept of justice,” Muralidhar said. “There are no norms. It is as if a population is being systematically broken down and left to die.”
Addressing the 130 percent increase in settler violence, Muralidhar described the conditions in Gaza and the West Bank as becoming increasingly unsurvivable. He noted that families live in perpetual fear due to consistent ceasefire violations, facing aerial attacks and tank strikes that force them to flee their homes with little notice.
He emphasized the “systematic destruction of Gaza’s entire infrastructure”—including water, electricity, and sanitation—which makes decent living impossible and forces families into extremely unsanitary encampments in the south. “This is a moment for the global community to pay close attention,” he urged.
Regarding the West Bank, investigators concluded that settler violence is not merely the work of rogue elements but is a deliberate extension of state policy. Muralidhar noted that since 2023, there has been a significant rise in organized attacks by masked, armed groups against Palestinian villages and farmland, often accompanied by Israeli security forces.
The report describes daily campaigns of harassment, trespassing, and intimidation by settlers, with outposts strategically positioned to expand territorial control. Between October 7, 2023, and March 10, 2026, approximately 59 shepherding communities were expelled, largely due to settler violence. The most significant activity was reported in the southern Hebron Hills, specifically near the Meitarim Farm outpost.
“Settlers are being armed and accompanied by Israeli security forces,” Muralidhar stated. “No action is being taken to prosecute these settlers; instead, they are encouraged to attack unarmed, defenseless Palestinians.”
The commission found particularly disturbing evidence regarding the targeting of children, both as victims and, increasingly, as perpetrators. The report cites several harrowing incidents, including the April 2025 abduction of two siblings in Beit Furik by settlers at knifepoint, the abuse of 15-year-old herders in August 2024, and a January 2026 incident where settlers in an all-terrain vehicle chased and pelted a school bus near Jericho with stones.
Muralidhar expressed concern that Israeli children as young as 12 are being removed from school and deployed by settlers to commit acts of violence, suggesting a “systematic attempt at brainwashing” that instills hatred in young minds.
When asked why these patterns are worsening, Muralidhar pointed to international inaction. “We see no concrete action from the international community despite clear evidence of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law,” he said. “The time for mere outrage has passed. We cannot simply watch while Israel continues its systematic targeting of Palestinians.”
The report also documents the use of sexual violence by settlers to displace Palestinian families, targeting women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Specific incidents include a violent attack in Turmus Ayya in October 2025 and reported sexual assaults and threats of rape in Khirbet Humsa in March 2026. While Israeli police reported arrests in some cases, the commission noted a lack of judicial or investigative outcomes.
Regarding Gaza, Muralidhar attributed Hamas’s internal repression to the total breakdown of law and order caused by relentless Israeli assaults. “This has led to a breakdown of law and order… Hamas has taken the law into its own hands,” he explained.
The commission documented 249 cases of executions and severe physical violence between August 2024 and January 2026, resulting in at least 108 deaths and 384 injuries. These acts—including kneecapping and beatings with metal pipes—were often framed as punishment for alleged collaboration, theft, or internal rivalries. Victims’ identities were frequently “doxxed” online, exposing families to further stigma and violence.
The report identified two primary forces responsible: the Sahm Unit, a plainclothes paramilitary force created in March 2024, and the Rad’a Force, established in June 2025. Muralidhar noted with concern that children are often present to witness these public punishments, leading to profound physical and mental trauma.
The commission faces significant operational hurdles, as it is denied access to the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, and Israel. Consequently, it must rely on firsthand accounts from witnesses in Jordan and Egypt, or medical professionals treating the injured. Muralidhar emphasized that the commission strives for an even-handed approach to uncover the truth for all victims, but noted that Israel continues to deny them access and prevent both Palestinian and Israeli victims from speaking to them.
“The Palestinian population is helpless and truly trapped,” Muralidhar concluded. “They can be accused of collaboration and subjected to extreme violence at any moment, sandwiched between two groups that do not believe in the rule of law.”
He described the psychological impact on the population, noting that many children are so traumatized they have become “benumbed” and unable to scream. Regarding the attacks on Israeli civilians and hostages on October 7, 2023, Muralidhar noted that the commission has previously released detailed reports on the horrific treatment of Israeli women and children at the hands of Palestinian armed groups.
The commission’s findings extend beyond war crimes, with Muralidhar stating that the evidence supports charges of crimes against humanity and genocide under the Rome Statute. He pointed to existing mechanisms, including International Criminal Court warrants and provisional orders from the International Court of Justice, noting that Israel is currently acting with “complete impunity.” He encouraged states to exercise universal jurisdiction to ensure that those implicated are held accountable.
