A United Nations (UN) expert has named more than 60 companies, including major arms manufacturers and technology firms, in a report alleging they are involved in supporting Israeli settlements and military actions in Gaza, which she called a "genocidal campaign."
Italian human rights lawyer Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, compiled the report based on more than 200 submissions from states, human rights defenders, companies and academics, Reuters reported.
The report calls on companies to suspend business with Israel and seeks legal accountability for executives involved in alleged violations of international law.
“As life in Gaza is being wiped off the face of the earth and the West Bank is under increasing attack, this report shows why Israel’s genocide continues: because it is profitable for many,” Albanese wrote in the 27-page document. She accused corporate entities of being “financially tied to Israel’s apartheid and militarism.”
The Israeli mission in Geneva said the report was “legally unfounded, defamatory and a brazen abuse of its mandate.” Reuters reports that the Israeli prime minister's office and the foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Israel has rejected accusations of genocide in Gaza, citing the right to self-defense after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which 1.200 people were killed and 251 people were kidnapped, according to Israeli figures.
The ensuing war in Gaza, according to the health ministry there, claimed more than 56.000 lives and turned the enclave into ruins.
The report groups companies by sector, such as military or technology, but does not always specify whether they are linked to settlements or the Gaza campaign. It says about 15 companies responded directly to rapporteur Albanese's office, but their responses have not been made public.
The companies include arms manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin and Leonardo, whose weapons are alleged to be used in Gaza, as well as heavy equipment suppliers Caterpillar and Hyundai, whose equipment is alleged to have been used to destroy property in the Palestinian territories.
Caterpillar has previously said it expects its products to be used in accordance with international humanitarian law. Neither company immediately responded to Reuters requests for comment.
Tech giants Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and IBM were listed as “central to Israel’s surveillance apparatus and the ongoing destruction of Gaza.”
Alphabet has previously justified its $1,2 billion contract to provide digital services to the Israeli government, stating that they are not aimed at military or intelligence operations.
Palantir Technologies was also mentioned for providing artificial intelligence-based tools to the Israeli military, although it was not specified how these tools are used.
The report expands a previous UN database of firms linked to Israeli settlements, last updated in June 2023, adding new companies and elaborating on alleged links to the Gaza conflict.
The report will be presented to the 47-member UN Human Rights Council on Thursday. Although the Council has no legally binding powers, cases documented by UN investigations have occasionally been used in international criminal trials, according to Reuters.
Israel and the United States left the Council earlier this year, citing bias against Israel.
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