UN adds 61 companies to blacklist of firms linked to Israeli settlements in West Bank

The UN Human Rights Office has added 61 companies to its database of businesses linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, raising the total to 214 firms. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk emphasized that the report reminds companies of their human rights responsibilities. Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva strongly rejected the update, calling the database a political tool and a smear campaign. The expansion comes amid heightened international pressure, including recent settlement trade bans by Britain, France, and Canada.

Details of the September 2026 update

• ▪Newly added firms to the UN's West Bank settlements database include Israeli pesticides maker ADAMA, Israeli real estate holding company Alony Hetz, and Spain's Salvat Logistica
• ▪The September 25, 2026 addition of 61 companies brings the total number of firms on the UN Human Rights Office's settlement database, first published in 2020, to 214, representing 11 different countries
• ▪The UN Human Rights Office removed five companies from its West Bank settlements database in the September 25, 2026 update, including UK-registered Opodo and Spanish-listed eDreams
• ▪The UN Human Rights Office's September 25, 2026 update to its settlements database focused on businesses operating in agriculture, transportation, storage, waste management, energy, and food and hospitality services
• ▪The UN Human Rights Office added 61 companies to its database of businesses linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank on September 25, 2026.

Israeli opposition to the database

• ▪Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva categorically rejected the UN's September 25, 2026 update to its West Bank settlements database, calling it a distorted political tool meant to advance a smear campaign against businesses
• ▪Israeli officials have argued that the UN Human Rights Office's database unfairly vilifies companies that are operating legally within the West Bank settlements

Government actions against settlement trade

• ▪In September 2026, Britain banned trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, with France and Canada announcing they would take similar action.
• ▪France, the Netherlands, and the UK have warned companies involved in settlement tenders in the occupied West Bank, such as the E1 project, that they could face exposure to sanctions

Database history and purpose

• ▪The UN Human Rights Office database was established in 2016 by a UN Human Rights Council vote, first published in 2020 with 112 companies, and updated in 2023, 2025, and 2026.
• ▪The UN Human Rights Council has no ability to force companies to act, with the UN Human Rights Office's West Bank settlements database primarily serving to name and shame businesses

International Court of Justice ruling

• ▪The International Court of Justice ruled in an advisory opinion in July 2024 that Israel's presence in occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and settlement activity breaches international law.
• ▪The International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that states are obliged not to render aid or assistance in maintaining Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territory

Classification of human rights impacts

• ▪The UN Human Rights Office found that no company listed on its settlement database, first published in 2020, met the threshold for 'causation,' the most serious level of human rights involvement
• ▪The UN Human Rights Office report states that 200 of the listed companies contribute to adverse effects on the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, while 14 are directly linked to such harm.

Listed companies and their responses

• ▪The UN's West Bank settlements database includes prominent travel brands such as Airbnb, Expedia, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com, alongside industrial firms like Motorola and JC Bamford Excavators
• ▪Expedia defended its listings in disputed areas of the occupied West Bank, stating they were clearly labeled, complied with international laws, and underwent enhanced due diligence

Debatable claims

• ▪The UN settlement database is a biased political tool targeting Israel
• ▪Governments should ban trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank
• ▪Business operations in West Bank settlements inherently violate Palestinian human rights