The United Nations Human Rights Office has added 61 additional companies to its blacklist, alleging that they breach Palestinian human rights by maintaining commercial links to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Out of the total 214 companies spanning 11 countries, the overwhelming majority are Israeli entities. Five of the 158 firms listed in the previous year’s update have now been removed.
First issued in 2020, the list resulted from a vote by the UN Human Rights Council, which lacks authority to compel corporate action. Its primary objective is to identify and publicly condemn businesses linked to the settlements.
The financial impact of being placed on the list remains unclear.
“This report underscores companies’ human rights obligations and the necessity of conducting thorough due diligence to avoid involvement in violations or abuses,” UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said in a statement.
Israel categorically rejects the publication, asserting that the database targets businesses that have done no wrongdoing. The Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva urged partners not to succumb to what it describes as an unjust attempt to blacklist Israeli companies.
The UN office said it had notified the listed companies and afforded them the opportunity to respond.
The latest report follows heightened scrutiny of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories.
Earlier this month, the United Kingdom prohibited trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, characterizing the activity as “ethnic cleansing” by “settler terrorists.” France and Canada subsequently announced plans to implement comparable measures.
