A UN expert has named more than 60 companies, including major arms manufacturers and technology firms, in a report alleging their involvement in supporting Israeli settlements and military actions in Gaza, which she called a ‘genocidal campaign’.
Italian human rights lawyer Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, compiled the report based on around 200 submissions from states, human rights defenders, companies and academics.
The report calls for companies to cease dealings with Israel and for legal accountability for executives implicated in alleged violations of international law.
“While life in Gaza is being obliterated and the West Bank is under escalating assault, this report shows why Israel’s genocide continues: because it is lucrative for many,” Albanese wrote in the 27-page document. She accused corporate entities of being ‘financially bound to Israel’s apartheid and militarism’.
Israel’s mission in Geneva said the report was ‘legally groundless, defamatory and a flagrant abuse of her office’.
Israel has rejected accusations of genocide in Gaza, citing its right to self-defence following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
The subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 56,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry and reduced the enclave to rubble.
The report groups the companies by sector, for example military or technology, and does not always make clear if they are linked to settlements or the Gaza campaign.
The report expands on a previous UN database of firms linked to Israeli settlements, last updated in June 2023, adding new companies and detailing alleged ties to the ongoing Gaza conflict.
It will be presented to the 47-member UN Human Rights Council tomorrow. Although the council lacks legally binding powers, cases documented by UN investigations have occasionally informed international prosecutions.
Israel and the United States disengaged from the council earlier this year, citing bias against Israel.
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