TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), has released a new report mapping companies allegedly assisting Israel in the displacement of Palestinians and its genocide in Gaza, which Albanese asserts violate international law.
As reported by Al Jazeera on Tuesday, Albanese's latest report, presented at a press conference in Geneva on Thursday, July 3, 2025, names 48 corporate entities. These include U.S. tech giants Microsoft, Alphabet Inc. (Google's parent company), and Amazon. A database containing over 1,000 corporate entities was also compiled as part of the investigation.
"[Israel’s] forever-occupation has become the ideal testing ground for arms manufacturers and Big Tech – providing significant supply and demand, little oversight, and zero accountability – while investors and private and public institutions profit freely," the report stated.
"Corporations are no longer just involved in the occupation—they may be embedded in the economy of genocide," it added, referring to the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip.
In expert opinions last year, Albanese suggested there were "reasonable grounds" to believe that Israel is committing genocide in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The report states that its findings illustrate "why Israel’s genocide continues." It concludes, "Because it is lucrative for many."
Identified Arms and Technology Companies
Weapons Procurement:
Israel's acquisition of F-35 fighter jets is part of the world’s largest arms procurement program, involving at least 1,600 companies in eight countries. This program is led by U.S.-based Lockheed Martin, with F-35 components manufactured globally.
Italian company Leonardo S.p.A. is listed as a major contributor to the military sector.
Japan’s FANUC Corporation provides robotic machinery for weapons production lines.
Technology and Surveillance:
The report highlights how the technology sector has enabled the Israeli government to collect, store, and utilize biometric data on Palestinians, "supporting Israel’s discriminatory permit regime."
Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are cited for providing Israel with near-equivalent access to their cloud and AI technologies, which boosts its data processing and surveillance capabilities.
U.S. tech firm IBM is also responsible for training military and intelligence personnel and managing the central database of Israel’s Population, Immigration and Borders Authority (PIBA), which stores biometric data on Palestinians.
U.S. software platform Palantir Technologies has reportedly expanded its support to the Israeli military since the conflict began in October 2023. The report suggests "reasonable grounds" to believe that Palantir has provided automated predictive policing technology for automated decision-making on the battlefield, processing data, and creating target lists, including through AI systems like “Lavender,” “Gospel,” and “Where’s Daddy?”
Other Companies Mentioned in the Report
The report also lists several companies developing civilian technologies that serve as “multi-purpose tools” for Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories:
Heavy Machinery:
Caterpillar, Leonardo’s Rada Electronic Industries, South Korea’s HD Hyundai, and Sweden’s Volvo Group are accused of providing heavy machinery used for home demolitions and the construction of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Rental Platforms:
Booking.com and Airbnb are cited for aiding illegal settlements by listing properties and hotel rooms in Israeli-occupied territories. Airbnb briefly delisted properties in illegal settlements in 2018 but later resumed listing them, donating proceeds to humanitarian causes—a practice the report terms "humanitarian-washing."
Energy Suppliers:
The U.S.’ Drummond Company and Switzerland’s Glencore are named as major suppliers of coal for electricity to Israel, much of which originates from Colombia.
Agricultural Sector:
China’s Bright Dairy & Food, which is the majority owner of Tnuva, Israel’s largest food conglomerate, is accused of profiting from land seized from Palestinians in illegal Israeli outposts.
Water Infrastructure:
Netafim, a drip irrigation technology provider 80 percent owned by Mexico’s Orbia Advance Corporation, allegedly provides the infrastructure to exploit water resources in the occupied West Bank.
Financial Institutions:
The report indicates that government bonds play a significant role in financing the ongoing conflict. Some of the world’s largest banks, including France’s BNP Paribas and Britain’s Barclays, are said to have stepped in to allow Israel to retain interest rate premiums despite credit rating downgrades.
Major Investors Behind the Companies
The report identified U.S. multinational investment firms BlackRock and Vanguard as major investors in several of the listed companies:
- BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, is listed as the second-largest institutional investor in Palantir (8.6%), Microsoft (7.8%), Amazon (6.6%), Alphabet (6.6%), and IBM (8.6%). It is also the third-largest in Lockheed Martin (7.2%) and Caterpillar (7.5%).
- Vanguard, the world’s second-largest asset manager, is the largest institutional investor in Caterpillar (9.8%), Chevron (8.9%), and Palantir (9.1%). It is also the second-largest in Lockheed Martin (9.2%) and Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems (2%).
Do Companies Profit from Dealing with Israel?
The report further asserts that “colonial endeavors and their associated genocides have historically been driven and enabled by the corporate sector.” It characterizes Israel’s expansion into Palestinian land as an example of “colonial racial capitalism,” where corporate entities profit from the illegal occupation.
Since October 2023, the report claims that "entities that previously enabled and profited from Palestinian elimination and erasure within the economy of occupation, instead of disengaging, are now involved in the economy of genocide.”
For foreign arms companies, the war has reportedly become a lucrative venture. Israel’s military spending from 2023 to 2024 jumped 65 percent to US$46.5 billion, one of the highest per capita in the world.
Several publicly traded entities, particularly in the arms, technology, and infrastructure sectors, have seen their profits soar since October 2023. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange also rose an unprecedented 179 percent, adding US$157.9 billion to its market value.
Global insurance companies, including Allianz and AXA, reportedly invest large sums in stocks and bonds linked to the Israeli occupation, partly as a capital reserve but primarily to generate profits.
Are Private Companies Accountable Under International Law?
According to Albanese's report, yes. Corporate entities are obligated to avoid human rights violations, whether through their direct actions or their business partnerships.
States have the primary responsibility to ensure that corporate entities respect human rights and should prevent, investigate, and punish violations by private actors. However, corporations must respect human rights even if the countries in which they operate do not.
Therefore, the report states, companies should assess whether their activities or relationships throughout their supply chains pose a risk of causing or contributing to human rights violations. Failure to act in accordance with international law can lead to criminal liability, with individual executives potentially being held criminally accountable, including before international courts.
The report calls on companies to withdraw from all activities related to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, which it deems illegal under international law.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion stating that Israel's ongoing presence in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem should be ended "as rapidly as possible." Based on this advisory opinion, the UN General Assembly demanded that Israel end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory no later than September 2025.
Albanese's report asserts that the ICJ's decision "effectively qualifies the occupation as an act of aggression … Consequently, any dealings that support or sustain the occupation and its associated apparatus may amount to complicity in an international crime under the Rome Statute."
It emphasizes: "States must not provide aid or assistance or enter into economic or trade dealings, and must take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that would assist in maintaining the illegal situation created by Israel in the oPt."
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