61 companies added to UN database over Israeli settlement links

New Delhi: The United Nations human rights office has found reasonable grounds to believe that 61 companies were involved in activities linked to Israeli settlements during the period examined in its latest review. The finding comes after the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) assessed 126 companies that had been the subject of allegations.

The findings are part of the latest update to a UN database created to track businesses involved in specific activities connected with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. With the latest additions and changes, the database now lists 214 business enterprises involved in the activities covered by the UN mandate.

OHCHR said the companies examined in this round operate across sectors including agriculture, transport, storage, waste management, energy, food and hospitality. The review covered alleged involvement that took place between August 2, 2019 and April 15, 2026.

The database covers 10 categories of activities identified by the Human Rights Council. These include helping with the construction or expansion of settlements, supplying surveillance equipment, providing security services, supporting settlements through transport and other utilities, and financial operations connected with settlement activity.

The list also covers the use of land and water resources for business purposes, certain waste and pollution-related activities and practices affecting Palestinian economic activity. OHCHR said the database is limited to these specified activities and does not cover every business activity that may raise human rights concerns in the occupied Palestinian territory.

For a company to be included, OHCHR said there must be reasonable grounds to believe, based on the information it reviewed, that the company was involved in at least one of the listed activities. The office stressed that this is a factual assessment and not a judicial or quasi-judicial process, and that inclusion does not amount to a legal ruling against a company.

The UN office also assessed the nature of each company’s involvement using the framework set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The categories include causing an adverse impact, contributing to it or being directly linked to it through business relationships.

OHCHR said companies were given opportunities to respond during the assessment process. After receiving preliminary findings, 14 of the companies reviewed in the latest update provided additional information, which the UN office considered before reaching its final determinations.

The latest review followed a broader call for information issued by OHCHR in May 2024, which generated 733 submissions concerning 596 business enterprises. OHCHR had reviewed 215 companies for its 2025 update and examined another 126 in the latest round, while allegations concerning the remaining companies are still being assessed.

The updated database includes businesses based in 11 countries, with Israeli companies making up the largest group. Companies from China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States are also included.

The current list includes several internationally known companies, including Airbnb, Booking Holdings, Expedia Group, TripAdvisor and Motorola Solutions. The database also contains companies involved in construction, transport, banking, telecommunications, energy, agriculture and other sectors.

OHCHR also removed five companies from its list of businesses involved in the specified activities after reassessing them on the basis of new and reliable information. The office said it will continue reviewing other companies and reflect further findings in future updates.