The United Nations has published a report identifying over 150 companies from 11 countries that are implicated in violating Palestinian human rights through their business connections to Israeli settlements located in the occupied West Bank.
According to international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied territory are deemed illegal. A ruling by the International Court of Justice in 2024 reaffirmed this stance, urging Israel to terminate its occupation.
The list features both Israeli and international firms, including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Motorola Solutions, and JCB. The international companies are registered in countries like the United States, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg.
This inventory is not comprehensive, focusing primarily on sectors such as construction, real estate, mining, and quarrying. The UN has yet to assess over 300 additional companies submitted for review.
The report emphasizes that when businesses recognize their contributions to human rights violations, they should engage in or facilitate remediation through appropriate channels.
Since the last update in June 2023, the list has expanded to include 68 new companies. Meanwhile, seven firms previously on the list, including British travel company Opodo and Spanish online travel agent eDreams Odigo, were removed due to their cessation of activities warranting inclusion.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk stated that the findings underscore the need for corporate accountability in conflict environments. “This report highlights the due diligence responsibility of businesses operating in conflict-affected contexts to ensure that their activities do not result in human rights abuses,” he remarked.
The release of this report coincides with Israel’s intensified military activities in Gaza, as well as a rise in military raids targeting civilians in the West Bank.
Civil society organizations assert that the database, established by the Human Rights Council in 2016, serves as a critical tool for promoting transparency in corporate operations within the West Bank, thereby encouraging companies to reconsider their involvement in settlements.
Since Israel captured the West Bank during the 1967 war, the size of Israeli settlements has increased. Jewish settlers currently control significant portions of the Palestinian territory, alongside other infrastructure under Israeli governance.
A UN Commission of Inquiry reported that Israeli policies since October 2023 indicate a clear intention to forcibly transfer Palestinians, expand Jewish settlements, and exert control over the entire West Bank.
In a related development, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday his opposition to any annexation of the occupied West Bank by Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu, rejecting demands from right-wing Israeli politicians advocating for increased control over the area.
Tags: UN, illegal Israeli settlements, occupied West Bank, companies, Human Rights
Hashtags: #updates #lists #companies #tied #illegal #Israeli #settlements #occupied #West #Bank
