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UN identifies 214 firms linked to illegal Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank
UN rights chief says report reminds companies of human rights responsibilities and need for due diligence to avoid involvement in abuses.
UN identifies 214 firms linked to illegal Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank
An elderly Palestinian man confronts Israeli soldiers and illegal settlers in Sebastia, north of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

The United Nations on Friday released a fresh update of its database of companies with activities in illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories, listing 214 firms from 11 countries.

Since last year's update, the UN rights office added an additional 61 companies to the database and had removed five companies.

But major firms like Airbnb, Booking.com, Motorola Solutions and TripAdvisor remained on the list.

The report, which was harshly criticised by Israel, served as a "reminder to companies that they have human rights responsibilities", UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.

Firms, he said, "are expected to conduct due diligence to ensure that they do not become involved in human rights violations or abuses".

Two Spanish companies removed from the list

While most of the companies were based in Israel, others were based in Canada, China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Britain and the United States.

There were two Spanish companies removed from the database since last year, along with one each from Canada, Israel and Portugal.

The list was first produced in 2020 after a UN Human Rights Council resolution called for a database of firms that profited from business in illegally occupied Palestinian territory.

The UN rights office was asked to list companies found to be taking part in any of 10 activities, including construction, surveillance, demolitions and destruction of agricultural land in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Database updates limited

Despite a requirement for the database to be updated annually, it has been revised just twice before, in 2023 and 2025.

The list is not exhaustive. It only reviews companies about which it received submissions during set timeframes, the last of which closed in June 2024.

In all, it has received submissions about 596 companies, of which it has so far reviewed 381.

Around 750,000 illegal Israeli settlers live in 156 settlements and 360 settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

The UN considers Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories illegal under international law and has repeatedly warned that settlement activity undermines the possibility of implementing a two-state solution.

RelatedTRT World - How Israeli businesses, financial institutions sustain illegal occupation of Palestinian land
SOURCE:AFP