Hundreds of IDF investigations into killings still have no public outcome, BBC Verify finds

BBC Verify has found 254 incidents in which the Israeli Defense Forces faces accusations of killing or injuring people across Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and Israel that the military said it was investigating, but which have produced no public outcome.

The BBC analysis used AI tools to scan more than 60,000 news reports and identified 300 cases the IDF claimed to be examining. Only 28 of those investigations produced published outcomes on the IDF website. For 18 additional cases, it remained unclear whether investigations had concluded. The IDF responded to BBC Verify's multiple inquiries about individual cases only twice, saying both remained under review.

Of the 254 incidents without public outcomes, 158 occurred in Gaza, 48 in the West Bank and 32 in Lebanon. Sixteen took place in Israel or IDF detention. The incidents span from October 7, 2023 to August 19, 2026. At least one person was reportedly killed in more than 200 of them. Some cases date to late 2023. One involved a strike on a school building in Gaza in August 2024 that reportedly killed at least 93 people, including six women and 11 children.

The IDF states it takes accusations of conduct inconsistent with law or directives seriously. It publishes investigation outcomes only when legal, operational and privacy considerations permit, according to a statement provided to BBC Verify. The military said it has taken disciplinary action in dozens of cases against soldiers, including removal from combat positions and reserve service.

The International Committee of the Red Cross publishes guidelines stating that investigations into potential violations of international humanitarian law should be as transparent as possible. Janina Dill, professor of international law at Oxford University, noted that the Geneva Conventions impose responsibility on armed conflict parties to investigate and potentially prosecute their own forces.

Dan Owen, a researcher at Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, told BBC Verify that the IDF often tries to "prolong" investigations. "They try to stretch out these processes to the point where people forget and people don't care about them," he said.

In August, the IDF published an unusual report detailing probes into five incidents, including the killings of five-year-old Hind Rajab and 15 Palestinian Red Crescent emergency workers. The military said three other cases involving aid worker deaths did not warrant criminal investigation.