As Israel continues to pound Gaza with bombs, termed a genocidal war aimed at cleansing Palestinians from the region, and attacks on civilians persist in the occupied Palestinian territories, the UN has released a report identifying corporations and companies across the world that abet Israel in displacing citizens in violation of international law.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s report, to be presented in Geneva, identifies 48 key corporate actors and includes a broader database of over 1,000 entities, suggesting that Israel’s military campaign and occupation have evolved into a lucrative industry, bolstered by advanced surveillance tools and global financial investments, according to Al Jazeera.
The report highlights how leading US tech firms—Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, IBM, and Palantir—have contributed significantly to Israel’s military and surveillance infrastructure, and states that Israel's war in Gaza has relied on predictive AI systems and large-scale data processing tools that many of these firms provide, thereby linking their technologies to the ongoing violence and displacement in the region.
While tech companies facilitated digital infrastructure and surveillance capabilities, arms manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin and Leonardo S.p.A were found to be integral to Israel’s F-35 fighter jet programme, which spans at least 1,600 companies across eight nations, while Japan’s FANUC Corporation was reported to provide robotics for weapons production, expanding the global network of support behind Israel's arsenal.
The report claims that corporations involved in civilian sectors have also contributed indirectly by supplying dual-use technologies and resources; heavy machinery providers like Caterpillar, HD Hyundai, and Volvo Group were said to enable illegal settlement expansions through home demolitions and construction support, and rental platforms such as Booking and Airbnb continued to operate in Israeli-occupied territory despite international objections.
In the agricultural and energy sectors, companies including Bright Dairy & Food and Netafim were said to profit from land and water resources seized from Palestinians, while coal suppliers like Drummond Company and Glencore were identified as sustaining Israel’s energy needs, further entrenching the occupation economy.
Major investment firms BlackRock and Vanguard were named as key investors behind many of these corporations, with significant stakes in arms manufacturers and tech companies, and their role was described as central in financing firms accused of aiding Israel’s war efforts.
The report argues that these corporate activities are not only morally questionable but legally dangerous, as they may constitute breaches of international humanitarian law, and it stresses that companies cannot absolve themselves of responsibility by claiming compliance with domestic laws if their actions support or sustain an unlawful occupation or war.
The findings come shortly after the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion declaring Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal, prompting the UN General Assembly to call for a complete withdrawal by September 2025 and reinforcing demands for companies to sever ties with any enterprise linked to the occupation.