Un Lists 214 Firms Working On Settlements In Palestinian Territories

GENEVA, Sept 26 (Bernama-dpa) -- At least 214 companies are contributing to the construction of illegal settlements in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian Territories, according to an updated UN review published on Friday, reported German news agency dpa.

The vast majority are based in Israel, followed by eight companies based in the US, including Airbnb.

German cement company Heidelberg Materials is also included in the list published by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on behalf of the Human Rights Council since 2020.

The list also includes US travel companies such as Expedia and Airbnb, as well as two companies each from China, France and the UK. Companies based in South Africa, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Mexico and Spain are also on the list.

Israel sharply criticised the database, claiming it was "established solely to persecute the Jewish state" to "advance a smear campaign against business enterprises that committed no wrongdoing."

According to a ruling by the International Court of Justice, the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal.

This is the fourth update to the database. A year ago, it contained just 158 companies. The list continues to grow as OHCHR gradually processes reports on 596 companies that it has received up to 2024, with the review of 255 companies is still pending.

The office assesses in each case whether a company is directly involved in settlement construction, whether it carries out activities in the occupied territories with others, or whether it contributes to settlement construction through its products or services. 

Inclusion on the list does not entail any specific consequences. The aim of the countries that voted in favour of the database in 2016 was to create transparency - coupled with the hope that pressure would be brought to bear on the companies to cease these activities.

--BERNAMA-dpa