UN Rights Office Lists 158 Firms Linked to Israeli Settlement Activities

The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has issued an update to its database of businesses involved in activities connected to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, identifying 158 companies from 11 countries. The database, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, is designed to increase transparency and accountability by highlighting the role of private enterprises in sustaining settlement-related operations deemed illegal under international law.

Expanding the Database

The updated database builds on the original list published in 2020 and a subsequent update in 2023. For the 2025 edition, the UN received submissions concerning 596 enterprises following a public call for input last year. With available resources, the Office reviewed 215 businesses, including all 97 companies listed in the 2023 update.

• 68 new companies were added in this cycle.

• 7 companies were removed after evidence showed they were no longer involved in settlement-related activities.

• The total number of businesses now stands at 158.

Most of the companies are based in Israel, but others are headquartered in Canada, China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Nature of the Business Activities

The UN report identifies companies engaged in activities that sustain or profit from settlements, including:

• Supplying construction equipment and materials for settlement expansion.

• Supporting the demolition of Palestinian homes and property.

• Conducting surveillance operations targeting Palestinian communities.

• Exploiting natural resources such as stone and water in occupied territories.

• Engaging in waste disposal and pollution affecting Palestinian villages.

The 2025 update shows that most of the newly listed firms are active in construction, real estate, mining, and quarrying.

Human Rights Due Diligence

The OHCHR stressed that companies were given the opportunity to respond before publication. Each was notified of the allegations and invited to provide documentation. The Office applied the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to evaluate involvement, ensuring that the methodology was consistent with global standards.

The report urges businesses to conduct rigorous due diligence and, where necessary, provide remediation or cooperation in reparations.

“This report underscores the due diligence responsibility of businesses working in contexts of conflict to ensure their activities do not contribute to human rights abuses,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.

He added that the assessment model used in this report could be applied to other conflict-affected areas worldwide.

Responsibility of States

The report also highlights the role of governments, stressing that states have a duty to ensure companies under their jurisdiction are not involved in or complicit with rights abuses.

It calls for judicial, legislative, and administrative measures to guarantee that victims of business-related human rights violations in occupied territories have access to effective remedies.

International Legal and Political Context

Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered illegal under international law, particularly under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of an occupying power’s civilian population into occupied territory.

The updated database comes amid heightened scrutiny of settlement expansion, which the UN and many governments argue undermines the prospects of a two-state solution. Critics of the settlements say that corporate involvement contributes to entrenching the occupation, while defenders argue the database unfairly targets businesses operating in disputed areas.

A Tool for Accountability

The Human Rights Council mandated the creation of this database to provide transparency and inform states, investors, and civil society. It is intended to act as a deterrent to corporate complicity in rights violations and to encourage companies to withdraw from unlawful activities.

The annex to the 2025 report includes both the updated list of businesses still engaged in settlement-related activities and those that have since ceased their involvement.