UN expands list of firms involved in illegal Israeli settlement activities

With addition of 61 more companies, the list now includes 214 businesses in 11 countries, most of them Israeli.

Israeli settlers look out through a metal fence in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 19, 2026 [File: Mussa Qawasma/Reuters]

The United Nations human rights office has added 61 more companies to its database of businesses engaging in activities linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.

The UN published an 18-page report on Friday, which includes the rationale behind the companies’ inclusion, adding that a total of 126 businesses were assessed.

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The inclusion of new companies brings the total to 214 businesses based in 11 countries. Five of the 158 companies listed last year were removed in the latest update.

The majority are Israeli businesses, with others based in China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The report says that a company must be engaged in at least one of 10 prohibited activities to be added to the database.

The activities include, among others, facilitating the construction and expansion of settlements, supplying surveillance and identification equipment, providing banking services, and providing services and utilities.

The report states that a company must generally cause, contribute to, or have a direct link to adverse human rights impacts in the occupied territory to be added to the database. It says that the standard of proof requires that there are reasonable grounds to believe the company is engaged in at least one of the prohibited activities.

This standard of proof is consistent with UN fact-finding bodies and is less than what is expected in a criminal court, which generally requires the defendant’s guilt to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The UN contacts affected companies after concluding that they are engaged in one or more of the prohibited activities. The firms are then given 60 days to provide any additional information, clarification or update on the situation.

The report said the UN received a response from 14 companies following its most recent assessment. It is not clear how many of the 126 companies reviewed were contacted.

Spanish firm Salvat Logistica was among the 61 companies added to the database, as well as Israeli real estate investment holding company Alony Hetz.

They join companies like travel agencies Expedia and Trip Advisor, home-rental company Airbnb, and telecommunications firm Motorola that were already on the list.

Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and have come under intense scrutiny since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza nearly three years ago. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s settlements “unlawful”. It also said Israel must not establish any new settlements in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem and is obliged to withdraw from occupied Palestinian territory as soon as possible.

The landmark ruling was an advisory opinion and not legally binding, despite its political significance.

新增 61 家公司后，该名单现在包括 11 个国家的 214 家企业，其中大部分是以色列企业。

2026年9月19日，以色列定居者在以色列占领的约旦河西岸希伯伦透过金属围栏向外张望。[图片：Mussa Qawasma/路透社]

联合国人权事务高级专员办事处在其数据库中新增了 61 家公司，这些公司从事与以色列在被占领的西岸和被占领的东耶路撒冷的非法定居点有关的活动。

联合国周五发布了一份 18 页的报告，其中包括将这些公司纳入评估范围的理由，并补充说，总共评估了 126 家企业。

以色列向受贸易禁令影响的企业提供现金援助；欧洲在新规问题上犹豫不决（共3条，第1条）

联合国称，加沙在“史上最严重的经济危机”中，其复苏所需资金高达715亿美元（清单共三项）。

阿巴斯在联合国表示，以色列的政策威胁巴勒斯坦人的“生存”，这是其中的三项政策之一。

新增公司使榜单上的企业总数达到214家，这些企业分布在11个国家。去年榜单上的158家企业中，有5家在最新更新中被移除。

其中大部分是以色列企业，其他企业则位于中国、法国、德国、卢森堡、墨西哥、荷兰、南非、西班牙、美国和英国。

报告称，一家公司必须从事至少 10 项禁止活动中的一项，才能被添加到数据库中。

这些活动包括（但不限于）促进居民点的建设和扩建、提供监视和识别设备、提供银行服务以及提供服务和公用事业。

报告指出，一家公司通常必须造成、促成或与被占领土上的人权损害有直接联系，才会被列入数据库。报告还指出，举证标准要求有合理理由相信该公司从事了至少一项被禁止的活动。

这一证明标准与联合国实况调查机构一致，但低于刑事法庭的要求，刑事法庭通常要求在排除合理怀疑的情况下证明被告有罪。

联合国在认定相关公司从事一项或多项被禁止的活动后，会与其联系。这些公司有60天的时间提供任何补充信息、澄清或最新情况说明。

报告称，联合国在最近一次评估后收到了14家公司的回复。目前尚不清楚在接受评估的126家公司中，有多少家公司收到了回复。

西班牙公司 Salvat Logistica 和以色列房地产投资控股公司 Alony Hetz 均被添加到数据库中，是新增的 61 家公司之一。

它们与此前已在名单上的公司，如旅行社 Expedia 和 Trip Advisor、房屋租赁公司 Airbnb 以及电信公司摩托罗拉一起，加入了名单。

根据国际法，以色列定居点属于非法，自以色列近三年前对加沙发动种族灭绝战争以来，以色列定居点一直受到密切关注。2024年7月，国际法院宣布以色列定居点“非法”。国际法院还表示，以色列不得在被占领的西岸和东耶路撒冷建立任何新的定居点，并有义务尽快从被占领的巴勒斯坦领土撤军。

尽管这项具有里程碑意义的裁决具有重要的政治意义，但它只是一项咨询意见，不具有法律约束力。