‘Lucrative’ business deals help sustain Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza: UN exper
‘Lucrative’ business deals help sustain Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza: UN expert
M.U.H
02/07/202540
A new report by the United Nations has named more than 60 major arms manufacturers and technology firms that are deeply involved in supporting Israeli settlements and an ongoing genocidal campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The latest report by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, calls for companies to cease dealings with Israel and for legal accountability for executives implicated in violations of international law.
“While life in Gaza is being obliterated and the West Bank is under escalating assault, this report shows why Israel’s genocide continues: because it is lucrative for many,” Albanese wrote in the 27-page document.
She accused corporate entities of being “financially bound to Israel’s apartheid and militarism.”
Albanese, an Italian human rights lawyer, compiled the report based on over 200 submissions from states, human rights defenders, companies, and academics.
The report names arms firms such as Lockheed Martin and Leonardo, stressing their weaponry has been used in Gaza.
It also lists heavy machinery suppliers Caterpillar Inc. and HD Hyundai, claiming their equipment has contributed to property destruction in the Palestinian territories.
Technology giants Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM were named as “central to Israel’s surveillance apparatus and the ongoing Gaza destruction.”
Palantir Technologies was also mentioned for providing AI tools to the Israeli military.
The report expands on a previous UN database of firms linked to Israeli settlements, last updated in June 2023.
The report will be presented to the 47-member UN Human Rights Council on July 3.
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement also recently published an updated list of companies enabling Israel’s “occupation, apartheid, and genocide against Palestinians.”
The BDS movement explained that it had carefully evaluated and prioritized companies based on their involvement in Israel’s ongoing “violations of Palestinian rights.”
A report earlier this year also said Israel’s Unit 8200 was a secretive cyber warfare team that is said to be building the artificial intelligence (AI) systems that helped the regime commit genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
