UN: Over 150 Companies Operate in West Bank Settlements

SadaNews - A report issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today, Friday, revealed that there are over 150 companies, including four leading online accommodation booking platforms, operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the International Court of Justice has declared illegal.

Among the American companies listed are Airbnb, Expedia, TripAdvisor, and the Netherlands-based Booking.com, which remain on the Commission's list, previously updated in 2023 to include 68 new names, bringing the total to 158.

Newly added to the list is the German company Heidelberg Materials, a major cement manufacturer, which contested its inclusion, stating to Reuters that it no longer operates in the occupied Palestinian territories. Seven companies that were previously listed have been removed.

All of the listed companies engage in one or more of the ten activities that the Human Rights Commission indicated raise serious human rights concerns. The listed accommodation platforms have not yet responded to requests from Reuters for comments.

Israel is contesting a decision from the UN's highest court made in 2024, claiming that the Palestinian land is not legally occupied because it is disputed. Most of the international community adopts the United Nations' perspective.

Calls for Changing the Situation

The report stated, "When businesses become aware that they have caused or contributed to negative impacts on human rights, they must address this through appropriate processes or cooperate in this regard."

Most of the companies included in the database are based in Israel, but it also includes international companies registered in countries such as the United States, Canada, China, France, and Germany.

Scrutiny of companies' activities in Israeli settlements has increased since the start of the Israeli military campaign on Gaza, which has coincided with an increase in raids in the West Bank, which Israel claims target militants but have also caused harm to civilians.

The list is not final, as the Commission is still examining over 300 companies under review. The list primarily focuses on companies involved in construction, real estate, mining, and quarrying.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated, "This report confirms that companies operating in conflict environments must exercise the necessary diligence to ensure that their activities do not contribute to human rights violations."

The report also pointed out the need for states to take action to ensure that companies do not contribute to violations.

Israel and the United States have long protested what they describe as a "disproportionate focus" by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council on Israel. The Israeli embassy in Geneva has not yet responded to a request for comment on the latest report.

Civil society groups argue that the database, which the council was tasked with preparing in 2016, is an important tool for ensuring transparency regarding companies' activities in the West Bank and urging these companies to reconsider their operations.

The number and size of Israeli settlements have increased since Israel's occupation of the West Bank in the 1967 war. They spread deep into the West Bank through a system of roads and other infrastructure under Israeli control, further fragmenting the land.

A UN investigative committee concluded on Tuesday that since October 2023, Israeli policies have demonstrated a clear intent to forcibly displace Palestinians, expand settlements, and annex the entire West Bank. Israel rejected the report, stating that the committee is politically motivated.

US President Donald Trump stated yesterday, Thursday, that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, rejecting calls from some far-right politicians in Israel who want to extend sovereignty over it and extinguish hopes for a Palestinian state.