Middle East

“For some, genocide is profitable.” UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has issued a blistering report accusing major companies of profiting from Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian land.

An Israeli drone attack on a car killed at least one person and injured three others near the Lebanese capital Beirut on Thursday during rush hour, according to local authorities. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr was at the scene as officials inspected the wreckage.

Although it’s not clear that Israeli leaders want to end the “Forever War” they launched in the aftermath of the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, the US has enough leverage to force a truce, argues Georgetown University visiting scholar, Khaled Elgindy.

Annelle Sheline, a former State Department official who quit in protest of President Biden’s Gaza policies, argues that Israel’s war was “not really about Hamas” but more about the Israeli desire to control Gaza, the West Bank and the wider region.

Sheline and Elgindy delve into the details of the proposed ceasefire deal with host Steve Clemons.

Air raid hits vehicle in Khaldeh, south of Lebanese capital, as Israel continues its near-daily attacks on Lebanon.

An Israeli drone attack has killed at least one person and injured three near the Lebanese capital, Beirut, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health says, the latest violation of the ceasefire between the two countries.

The air raid on Thursday hit a vehicle on a busy motorway in the Khaldeh area, about 12km (8 miles) south of Beirut.

The Israeli military said it targeted “military sites and weapons depots” in the area.

Bombing an area near the Lebanese capital marks another escalation by Israel, which has been carrying out near-daily bombardment in Lebanon since it reached a truce with Hezbollah in November of last year.

The identities of the victims of the attack have not been released.

Reporting from outside Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr noted that the Israeli air raid took place during rush hour, with many people making their way from Beirut to south Lebanon.

“Israel is also acting with little restraint. The Lebanese state wants these attacks to stop, but the state has little leverage. Hezbollah, too, if it does respond, could trigger a harsh Israeli retaliation,” Khodr said.

“We don’t see a wide-scale Israeli bombardment like we saw last year, targeting areas where Hezbollah has influence, but we see these attacks happening almost on a daily basis.”

Later on Thursday, the Israeli military carried out a wave of air strikes across south Lebanon, with heavy bombardment targeting the outskirts of Zawtar al-Charqiyeh, near Nabatieh, Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported.

Lebanese officials often condemn such attacks and call on the United States and France – the two sponsors of last year’s ceasefire – to pressure Israel to end its violations.

But diplomatic efforts have failed to stem the ceasefire breaches, amid unwillingness by the US and its Western allies to hold Israel to account.

The repeated Israeli attacks are testing Hezbollah’s position in Lebanon after it suffered painful blows in its confrontation with Israel last year.

The Iran-allied group started attacking Israeli military positions at the border in October 2023, in what it said was a “support front” to help bring an end to the war on Gaza.

For months, the conflict remained largely confined to the border region, but in September of last year, Israel launched an all-out assault on Lebanon that destroyed large parts of the country, especially areas where Hezbollah enjoys support.

The Israeli military also assassinated the group’s top political and military leaders, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

A ceasefire was reached in November, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a previous conflict in 2006.

The truce stipulated that Hezbollah must withdraw its forces to the north of the Litani River, about 30km (20 miles) from the Israeli border.

But after the truce came into effect, Israel continued to occupy parts of south Lebanon in violation of the agreement, and it has been carrying out attacks across the country.

Weakened by the war, Hezbollah has refrained from responding. The Lebanese Armed Forces have also failed to hit back against Israel.

The latest strike in Khaldeh comes amid Lebanese media reports about a US proposal that would see Hezbollah disarm in exchange for an end to Israel’s attacks and a full withdrawal from the country.

But Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem appeared to dismiss any agreement to give up the group’s weapons that would involve Israel.

“We are a group that cannot be driven to humiliation. We will not give up our land. We will not give up our arms to the Israeli enemy,” Qassem said. “And we will not accept to be threatened into concessions.”

Qassem previously warned that Hezbollah’s “patience” in allowing the Lebanese state to deal with the Israeli attacks diplomatically may run out.

But given the cost of the previous war on Hezbollah’s military structure as well as its civilian base, it is not clear whether the group is in a position to renew the conflict with Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran is committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), dismissing speculation that Iran would leave the accord in response to major attacks by Israel and the United States on its nuclear and other sites.

Araghchi also said on Thursday that Iran will honour its safeguards agreement with the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), despite recently passing a law to suspend cooperation with the agency.

Safeguards agreements between the IAEA and NPT signatories allow the UN agency to ensure that the countries’ nuclear programmes remain peaceful.

“Iran remains committed to the NPT and its Safeguards Agreement,” Araghchi wrote in a social media post.

“In accordance with the new legislation by Majlis [parliament], sparked by the unlawful attacks against our nuclear facilities by Israel and the US, our cooperation with [the IAEA] will be channelled through Iran’s Supreme National Security Council for obvious safety and security reasons.”

It is not clear how that cooperation will proceed or when and how IAEA inspectors will be granted access to Iran’s nuclear sites.

Araghchi’s comment was made in response to a German Federal Foreign Office statement decrying the Iranian legislation against the IAEA as a “devastating message”.

The Iranian foreign minister hit out at the criticism by Germany – one of Israel’s most committed allies that backed the attacks against Iran last month.

At the height of Israel’s strikes, which were launched without direct provocation, Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested Germany and the West are benefitting from the war.

“This is dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us,” he said. The remarks earned him praise from Israeli officials and caused outrage in some other quarters.

On Thursday, Araghchi rebuked “Germany’s explicit support for Israel’s unlawful attack on Iran, including safeguarded nuclear sites, as ‘dirty work’ carried out on behalf of the West”.

He also accused Berlin of repudiating its commitments under the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal with Tehran by demanding zero enrichment by Iran.

The pact – which US President Donald Trump torpedoed during his first term in 2018 – allows Iran to enrich uranium at a low grade under a strict monitoring regime.

“‘Iranians were already put off by Germany’s Nazi-style backing of Genocide in Gaza, and its support for Saddam’s war on Iran by providing materials for chemical weapons,” Araghchi said in a post on X.

“The explicit German support for the bombing of Iran has obliterated the notion that the German regime harbours anything but malice towards Iranians.”

Companies from the former West Germany have long been accused by Iran of helping late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein develop chemical weapons, which he used against Iranian forces during the war between the two countries in the 1980s.

Iran has been calling on Germany to investigate its ties to Iraq’s chemical weapons, but Berlin has not publicly acknowledged any role in the programme.

Germany and other European countries came out in support of Israel in its recent 12-day war with Iran, which killed hundreds of Iranian civilians, including nuclear scientists and their family members, as well as top military officials.

The US joined the Israeli campaign last month, bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran retaliated against the US attack with a missile strike against an airbase in Qatar where US soldiers are stationed. Hours later, a ceasefire was reached.

Iranian officials have sharply criticised the IAEA not only for failing to condemn the Israeli and US strikes but also for passing a resolution on June 12 accusing Tehran of noncompliance with its nuclear obligations, the day before Israel attacked.

International law offers special protection to nuclear sites due to the high risk of an environmental disaster if attacks result in the leak of radioactive material.

The state of the Iranian nuclear programme after the US and Israeli strikes remains unclear.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon said the US bombing operation set back Iran’s nuclear programme by one to two years.

But IAEA chief Rafael Grossi recently said Iran could be enriching uranium again in a “matter of months”. Enrichment is the process of enhancing the purity of radioactive uranium atoms to produce nuclear fuel.

Iran has repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear weapon while Israel is widely believed to possess an undeclared nuclear arsenal of dozens of atomic bombs.

Talks lay groundwork for a summit between EU and Chinese leaders in Beijing on July 24 and 25.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief has urged China to end restrictions on the export of rare earth elements and warned that Chinese firms’ support for Russia’s war in Ukraine posed a serious threat to European security.

The statement from Kaja Kallas came on Wednesday after a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brussels.

The EU is seeking to improve its relations with China amid United States President Donald Trump’s tariff war, which has rocked major trading powers.

But instead of improvements, a trade spat has only deepened between Brussels and Beijing over alleged unfair practices by China. The 27-nation bloc is also railing against the flow of vital tech to Russia’s military through China.

On Wednesday in her meeting with Wang, Kallas “called on China to put an end to its distortive practices, including its restrictions on rare earths exports, which pose significant risks to European companies and endanger the reliability of global supply chains”, a statement from her office said.

On trade, Kallas urged “concrete solutions to rebalance the economic relationship, level the playing field and improve reciprocity in market access”.

She also “highlighted the serious threat Chinese companies’ support for Russia’s illegal war poses to European security”.

China says it does not provide military support to Russia for the war in Ukraine. But European officials say Chinese companies provide many of the vital components for Russian drones and other weapons used in Ukraine.

Kallas called on China “to immediately cease all material support that sustains Russia’s military industrial complex” and support “a full and unconditional ceasefire” and a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.

Wednesday’s discussions were to lay the groundwork for a summit between EU and Chinese leaders on July 24 and 25. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to China for the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

Earlier in the day, Wang also met Costa as part of those preparations.

In that meeting, Wang called on both sides to respect each other’s core interests and increase mutual understanding, adding that “unilateralism and acts of bullying have seriously undermined the international order and rules”, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

Besides discussions on improving bilateral ties, Kallas and Wang also discussed the situation in Iran.

While both leaders welcomed the de-escalation between Israel and Iran, Kallas said she had “urged Iran to immediately restart negotiations on its nuclear programme and that Europe stands ready to facilitate talks”, according to a statement from her office.

Kallas and Wang also “agreed on the importance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime”.

The EU, the United Kingdom, France and Germany are parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that the United States abandoned in 2018, which they hope to revive. Iran has always said its nuclear programme is peaceful and denies seeking a weapon.

An Israeli strike on a residential building in Gaza killed the director of the Indonesian Hospital, Marwan al-Sultan, along with members of his family. Al-Sultan had repeatedly called for the international community to help keep medical workers safe.

Video from a Palestinian defence volunteer shows the rescue of a woman from rubble and flames in Gaza City following an Israeli bombing of a building in Al-Zeitoun neighbourhood. The post says the woman is alive and in the hospital under medical supervision.

Abu Shabab is the leader of the Popular Forces, a criminal group in southern Gaza thought to be backed by Israel.

A Hamas-run court in Gaza has ordered Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a criminal group allegedly backed by Israel, to surrender himself for trial.

The Revolutionary Court of the Military Judiciary Authority in Gaza gave the 35-year-old head of the Popular Forces group, which stands accused of collaborating with Israel to loot humanitarian aid, 10 days to turn himself in.

Abu Shabab faces charges of treason, collaborating with hostile entities, forming an armed gang and armed rebellion, the court said on Wednesday, adding that he would be tried in absentia if he fails to surrender.

The Popular Forces posted a response on a Facebook page that usually carries its announcements, describing the court’s order as a “sitcom that doesn’t frighten us, nor does it frighten any free man who loves his homeland and its dignity”.

The group and its leader were thrust into the limelight last month when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government had “activated” powerful local clans in Gaza on the advice of “security officials”.

Israeli and Palestinian media named the group as the Popular Forces, a well-armed Bedouin clan led by Abu Shabab, reportedly consisting of about 100 armed men.

The group later said online that its members were involved in guarding aid shipments sent to distribution centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which Israel contracted to distribute aid in the enclave.

Mass killings of aid seekers near the US-backed GHF distribution centres, which replaced existing distribution networks run by the United Nations and other experienced aid groups, have become a routine occurrence.

The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank has described Abu Shabab as the leader of a “criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks”.

It said he was thought to have been previously imprisoned by Hamas for drug trafficking.

The court urged Palestinians to inform Hamas security officials about the whereabouts of Abu Shabab, who has so far remained beyond their reach in the Rafah area of southern Gaza held by Israeli troops.

It said anyone who knows of Abu Shabab’s location and fails to report him would be considered to have concealed a fugitive from justice.

In the coming days, the United Kingdom government is moving full steam ahead to proscribe Palestine Action – a movement of young people with a conscience – as a terrorist group. Some of its members are already behind bars; others face trials or await sentencing. Yet, despite the “terrorist” label and the threat of imprisonment, tens of thousands across the country have taken to the streets chanting, “We are all Palestine Action”.

If the government’s goal was to intimidate people into silence – to ensure British complicity in genocide continues unchecked – it has badly miscalculated. A recent poll found that 55 percent of Britons are against Israel’s war on Gaza. A significant number of those opponents – 82 percent – said Israel’s actions amount to genocide. Something fundamental is shifting. There is a gaping disconnect between the media’s narrative and the views of common people, who reject ministerial spin and the framing of resistance to tyranny and fascism as terrorism.

Like the defiant youth of Palestine Action, I too was once branded a terrorist. In 1981, I was a member of the United Black Youth League. We knew building petrol bombs was legally “wrong”, but we believed in our right to defend our community – even by armed means – against fascist threats in Bradford. Arrested alongside 11 others, I faced terrorism charges carrying life sentences in what became known as the Bradford 12 case.

While our struggle was against local fascists, Palestine Action’s fight is nobler: exposing and halting a genocide in Palestine, carried out by Israel’s neo-fascist regime with British support. And unlike us, they have not taken up arms. Where we built crude weapons in self-defence against immediate violence, Palestine Action has used only nonviolent direct action – spray-painting warplanes, occupying factories, and disrupting business as usual – to confront British complicity in genocide. I recognise their rage – I have gone hoarse screaming about genocide myself. How many burning children must we see to know it is wrong? How many starving families must be slaughtered to sustain an apartheid state?

The pain is sharper knowing the weapons murdering Palestinians are made in Britain. It is worse watching hypocritical politicians twist words – from Keir Starmer justifying genocide early on, to now hiding behind hollow phrases like “Israel’s right to defend itself”. But as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese and many others have repeatedly clarified: “Israel has no right to defend itself against those it occupies.”

If the UK government succeeds, anyone associated with Palestine Action will be branded a “terrorist”. During the Bradford 12 trial, we were painted the same way. Like Palestine Action activists, we had, in our own time, fought for a more just and fairer world.

Palestine Action emerged from the failure of endless protests demanding an end to never-ending wars and justice for Palestine. As they state: “Palestine Action is a direct action movement committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime. Using disruptive tactics, we target enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex, making it impossible for them to profit from Palestinian oppression.”

We, the Bradford 12, were born from the police’s failure to protect us from fascist violence. We took armed self-defence into our own hands in an organised community defence. To do nothing would have been the greater crime. Similarly, UK complicity in genocide demands action. Disrupting the war machine is not criminal; it is a moral necessity.

At our 1982 trial in Leeds Crown Court, tens of thousands mobilised to demand our acquittal. They saw through the state’s lies – they knew convicting us would unleash repression against youth movements, trade unions, and anyone fighting for justice. The jury faced a pivotal question: What kind of world do you want to live in if you acquit these men? I testified that, faced with the same threats, we would do it all again. That question echoes today; if Palestine Action is criminalised, we risk slipping into a lawless world where genocide becomes the norm, not the exception.

We were acquitted, establishing a legal precedent for armed community self-defence. Palestine Action needs no precedent to justify its cause, because its actions are already grounded in legality, morality, and nonviolence. It is not a threat – it is a moral compass. The UK must follow it, not ban it.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Ryanair is among those to have cancelled and rerouted flights amid the conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as continued attacks in Gaza

Ryanair has had to cancel over 800 flights in the last month and reroute planes due to the tensions between Israel and Iran, as well as the continued unrest in Gaza, reports the Express.

Despite this, Ryanair announced on Wednesday that it still managed to operate more than 109,000 flights in total in June, suggesting that less than 1% of flights were impacted.

The Ireland-based firm reported that it transported 19.9 million passengers over the month, marking a 3% increase compared to the same month the previous year. This means that it has carried a total of 202.6 million passengers over the past 12 months, a rise of 7% year-on-year.

It’s not the only airline to have seen an increase in passenger numbers. Fellow budget carrier Wizz Air stated that it carried 5.88 million passengers in June, a 10.8% increase compared to the same month last year. As a result, its seat capacity was 10.4% higher year-on-year. Wizz Air has carried approximately 65 million passengers over the past 12 months, marking a 4.7% increase year-on-year.

The ongoing tensions in the Middle East saw operations halted at Dubai airport last week, with passengers being warned to anticipate further delays and cancellations. Emirates, which operates a number of flights from the UAE airport, subsequently cancelled all flights to and from Tehran, up to and including July 5, 2025.

In a statement in its travel updates, the airline warned: “Customers connecting through Dubai with final destinations in Iran will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice.”

The company added that it would plan to resume operations to Baghdad from July 1, and Basra from July 2.

Tensions in the Middle East have continued to cause disruption across air travel. Back in April, easyJet made the decision to pause all flights to and from Tel Aviv. The decision is still in place as the carrier continues “closely monitor the situation”, with passengers who have existing bookings being asked to get in touch with the airline up to a week in advance.

A statement on the airline’s travel updates, which was first shared in April, explains: “Due to the current situation in Israel, we have made the decision to pause our operations to and from Tel Aviv.

“Customers currently in Tel Aviv wishing to discuss their travel options can contact our Customer Services team on our dedicated line on +44 (0) 330 5515147.

“Customers with existing bookings, who are due to travel next week, will be contacted directly via email and SMS using the details provided at the time of booking and check in.

“If you made your booking through a travel agent, please contact your travel agency for help with your full travel plans.

“We are continuing to closely monitor the situation. The safety and security of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority.”

Have you had a flight or holiday impacted by the cancellations? Email us at [email protected].

The Adam Marine 12 was being transported to a new location when it capsized, leaving 22 injured.

An oil-drilling barge has sunk in the Gulf of Suez, killing at least four crew members and leaving four others unaccounted for.

The Egyptian government said on Wednesday that 22 people were injured when the Adam Marine 12 sank the previous night in the Gebel el-Zeit area in the Gulf of Suez.

The barge was being towed to a new location when it capsized, Egyptian media reported.

Four of the injured people were airlifted to hospital, with 18 others transported by ambulance, Egypt’s Ministry of Health said on social media.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources posted pictures of Minister Karim Badawi visiting survivors in El Gouna hospital in Hurghada on Wednesday, accompanied by Labour Minister Mohammed Jibran and Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi.

Hanafi said ships from the Egyptian navy joined the search-and-rescue efforts for the missing crewmen.

Gebel el-Zeit is a major Egyptian oil production site about 300km (186 miles) south of the Suez Canal.

Experts warn your medication could be confiscated and you could be held by the authorities

Travel and health experts have warned anyone taking weight-loss jabs to check before they go on holiday as they are banned or restricted in some countries. Mounjaro has been released for use as a weight-loss jab on the NHS in the UK and other jabs are available to buy privately.

But while weight-loss medication is legal in the UK, other countries have not approved it – meaning it could be confiscated or you could be held by the authorities if you try to import it.

Travel and health experts have explained what you need to do if you want to take your weight-loss jabs abroad this summer.

NHS GP Dr Asimah Hanif said: “There are countries where weight loss injections are restricted or banned – unlike the UK where they are more widely accepted. For example, if you were to go to the UAE, you would need pre-approval from the Ministry of Health. Or if you were to go to Japan, you would require an import certificate.

“In Singapore – you would need approval from the health services authority before travel. There are many ways you can prepare yourself according to the country you’re travelling to. This will ensure a smooth journey and also allow you to continue administering your weight loss injections.”

The jabs are often used for their original purpose – managing diabetes – as well as being taken for weight loss. This can mean there is an even more urgent need to keep talking them.

GP Dr Ola Otulana said: “At the moment weight loss injections such as semaglutide are widely prescribed in the UK for diabetes management and now more recently for weight management. However people may not realise that rules can differ significantly abroad as in some countries (in Asia and the Middle East), medications like semaglutide can be heavily regulated or banned entirely if they are not licensed for weight loss there.

“Even in places where they are legal, carrying injectable medications without a letter from a doctor and proof of prescription can raise issues at customs, which may lead to items being confiscated.

“If you are prescribed a weight loss injection in the UK and are planning to travel, the safest approach is to check the embassy website of your destination country in advance to confirm the rules on your medication. You should also carry your prescription, a formal letter from your GP explaining the indication and dosing, and also keep the medication in its original packaging. Some countries require you to declare any injectable or controlled medications when you arrive. Prepare and bring any necessary documentation to avoid stress while travelling / abroad and talk to your GP or pharmacist before travelling.”

Travellers say they have come across a number of countries where the jabs – and other medication – can land you in trouble.

Isheeta Borkarm co-owner of Travelicious Couple, said: “Weight-loss injections like Wegovy are legal and widely used in the UK, but they’re not allowed everywhere else. We’ve come across a few countries where bringing them in could actually get you into serious trouble.

“For example, Japan has extremely strict rules around medication import. Even certain asthma inhalers are banned, so bringing in injectable weight-loss medication, especially with a needle, without prior approval could lead to confiscation or worse.

Singapore requires prior authorisation for any injectable medication. We’ve heard in Thailand even prescription drugs can be flagged at customs if the paperwork isn’t clear.”

Five steps to take if travelling with weight loss jabs:

1. You should check embassy websites for the latest information 2. Carry your prescription and a letter from your doctor (ideally stating dosage and medical necessity). 3. Declare it at customs. 4. Avoid packing injectables in carry-ons. Use the original packaging and keep medication with their official labelling. 5. Some of these medications need refrigeration. Call hotels in advance to ensure they had a minibar fridge.

The United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) has released a new report mapping the corporations aiding Israel in the displacement of Palestinians and its genocidal war on Gaza, in breach of international law.

Francesca Albanese’s latest report, which is scheduled to be presented at a news conference in Geneva on Thursday, names 48 corporate actors, including United States tech giants Microsoft, Alphabet Inc. – Google’s parent company – and Amazon. A database of more than 1000 corporate entities was also put together 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 said.

“Companies are no longer merely implicated in occupation – they may be embedded in an economy of genocide,” it said, in a reference to Israel’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip. In an expert opinion last year, Albanese said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Israel was committing genocide in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

The report stated that its findings illustrate “why Israel’s genocide continues”.

“Because it is lucrative for many,” it said.

What arms and tech companies were identified in the report?

Israel’s procurement of F-35 fighter jets is part of the world’s largest arms procurement programme, relying on at least 1,600 companies across eight nations. It is led by US-based Lockheed Martin, but F-35 components are constructed globally.

Italian manufacturer Leonardo S.p.A is listed as a main contributor in the military sector, while Japan’s FANUC Corporation provides robotic machinery for weapons production lines.

The tech sector, meanwhile, has enabled the collection, storage and governmental use of biometric data on Palestinians, “supporting Israel’s discriminatory permit regime”, the report said. Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon grant Israel “virtually government-wide access to their cloud and AI technologies”, enhancing its data processing and surveillance capacities.

The US tech company IBM has also been responsible for training military and intelligence personnel, as well as managing the central database of Israel’s Population, Immigration and Borders Authority (PIBA) that stores the biometric data of Palestinians, the report said.

It found US software platform Palantir Technologies expanded its support to the Israeli military since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023. The report said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the company provided automatic predictive policing technology used for automated decision-making in the battlefield, to process data and generate lists of targets including through artificial intelligence systems like “Lavender”, “Gospel” and “Where’s Daddy?”

What other companies are identified in the report?

The report also lists several companies developing civilian technologies that serve as “dual-use tools” for Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.

These include Caterpillar, Leonardo-owned Rada Electronic Industries, South Korea’s HD Hyundai and Sweden’s Volvo Group, which provide heavy machinery for home demolitions and the development of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Rental platforms Booking and Airbnb also aid illegal settlements by listing properties and hotel rooms in Israeli-occupied territory.

The report named the US’s Drummond Company and Switzerland’s Glencore as the primary suppliers of coal for electricity to Israel, originating primarily from Colombia.

In the agriculture sector, Chinese Bright Dairy & Food is a majority owner of Tnuva, Israel’s largest food conglomerate, which benefits from land seized from Palestinians in Israel’s illegal outposts. Netafim, a company providing drip irrigation technology that is 80-percent owned by Mexico’s Orbia Advance Corporation, provides infrastructure to exploit water resources in the occupied West Bank.

Treasury bonds have also played a critical role in funding the ongoing war on Gaza, according to the report, with some of the world’s largest banks, including France’s BNP Paribas and the UK’s Barclays, listed as having stepped in to allow Israel to contain the interest rate premium despite a credit downgrade.

Who are the main investors behind these companies?

The report identified US multinational investment companies BlackRock and Vanguard as the main investors behind several listed companies.

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, is listed as the second largest institutional investor in Palantir (8.6 percent), Microsoft (7.8 percent), Amazon (6.6 percent), Alphabet (6.6 percent) and IBM (8.6 per cent), and the third largest in Lockheed Martin (7.2 percent) and Caterpillar (7.5 percent).

Vanguard, the world’s second-largest asset manager, is the largest institutional investor in Caterpillar (9.8 percent), Chevron (8.9 percent) and Palantir (9.1 percent), and the second largest in Lockheed Martin (9.2 percent) and Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems (2 percent).

Are companies profiting from dealing with Israel?

The report states that “colonial endeavours and their associated genocides have historically been driven and enabled by the corporate sector.” Israel’s expansion on Palestinian land is one example of “colonial racial capitalism”, where corporate entities profit from an illegal occupation.

Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, “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,” the report said.

For foreign arms companies, the war has been a lucrative venture. Israel’s military spending from 2023 to 2024 surged 65 percent, amounting to $46.5bn – one of the highest per capita worldwide.

Several entities listed on the exchange market – particularly in the arms, tech and infrastructure sectors – have seen their profits rise since October 2023. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange also rose an unprecedented 179 percent, adding $157.9bn in market value.

Global insurance companies, including Allianz and AXA, invested large sums in shares and bonds linked to Israel’s occupation, the report said, partly as capital reserves but primarily to generate returns.

Booking and Airbnb also continue to profit from rentals in Israeli-occupied land. Airbnb briefly delisted properties on illegal settlements in 2018 but later reverted to donating profits from such listings to humanitarian causes, a practice the report referred to as “humanitarian-washing”.

Are private companies liable under international law?

According to Albanese’s report, yes. Corporate entities are under an obligation to avoid violating human rights through direct action or in their business partnerships.

States have the primary responsibility to ensure that corporate entities respect human rights and must prevent, investigate and punish abuses by private actors. However, corporations must respect human rights even if the state where they operate does not.

A company must therefore assess whether activities or relationships throughout its supply chain risk causing human rights violations or contributing to them, according to the report.

The failure to act in line with international law may result in criminal liability. Individual executives can be held criminally liable, including before international courts.

The report called on companies to divest from all activities linked to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, which is illegal under international law.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion ruling that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem should come to an end “as rapidly as possible”. In light of this advisory opinion, the UN General Assembly demanded that Israel bring to an end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory by September 2025.

Albanese’s report said the ICJ’s ruling “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.

“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.”