On Monday, a coalition of more than 80 international non-governmental organizations, including Oxfam and the Human Rights League, called on governments and corporations, particularly in Europe, to cease all forms of commercial engagement with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The appeal was issued in a joint report titled “Trading with Illegal Settlements: How Foreign States and Corporations Enable Israel’s Unlawful Settlement Policy.”
The report, co-authored by groups such as Oxfam and the Human Rights League, outlines how foreign business activities in these settlements directly contribute to the worsening humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s prolonged occupation.
The report highlights several European companies whose operations support the settlement economy by selling products within Israel, including in illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank.
It specifically names firms such as Carrefour (France), JCB (UK), Siemens (Germany), Maersk (Denmark), and Barclays Bank (UK).
The NGOs urge countries—especially EU member states and the United Kingdom—to impose explicit bans on any commercial or investment activity linked to the illegal colonies.
This includes the provision of services, financial support, and infrastructure development. The report also calls for financial institutions to be prohibited from issuing loans to companies involved in settlement-related projects.
This latest report builds on findings presented in July 2025 by Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Her report, titled “From the Economy of Occupation to the Economy of Genocide,” asserts that foreign companies play a role in advancing Israel’s settlement enterprise through forced displacement of Palestinians and the replacement of local populations with settlers.
Albanese emphasized that funding for these activities often flows through banks and insurance companies, while tourism platforms, major retail chains, and academic institutions contribute to their normalization.
She also noted that consumers have the power to hold these companies accountable through their purchasing choices.
Albanese has warned that Israel is attempting to render Gaza City uninhabitable through its ongoing assault on the largest urban area in the territory.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Albanese stated that Israel is deploying unconventional weapons in its bombardment of Gaza, describing the campaign as a deliberate effort to forcibly displace Palestinians. She emphasized that this remaining portion of Gaza is being targeted to make it unlivable.
Albanese reiterated her position that Israel is committing acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
