ASIATODAY.ID, GENEVA – UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has issued a report naming several companies linked to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The list includes not only American corporate giants but also companies from other countries such as Mexico and China.
Albanese’s latest report is scheduled to be presented at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday. It marks the preliminary findings of what could be thousands of entities under investigation.
“The prolonged [Israeli] occupation has served as an ideal testing ground for arms manufacturers and Big Tech—providing substantial supply and demand, minimal oversight, and zero accountability—while private and public investors and institutions profit freely,” the report states, as quoted by Al Jazeera on Wednesday, July 3, 2025.
“Companies are no longer merely complicit in the occupation—they may be embedded in the genocide economy,” it adds, referring to Israel’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip.
Previously, in an expert opinion issued last year, Albanese said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israel was committing genocide in the besieged Palestinian enclave. This latest report argues that her findings illustrate “why Israel’s genocide continues.”
“Because it is profitable for many,” she said at the time.
Which Companies Are Linked to the Genocide in Gaza?
The UN report notes that Israel’s procurement of F-35 fighter jets is part of the world’s largest weapons acquisition program, involving at least 1,600 companies across eight countries. The program is led by US-based Lockheed Martin, though F-35 components are manufactured globally.
Italian defense firm Leonardo S.p.A. is listed as a key military-sector contributor. Japan’s FANUC Corporation provides robotic machinery for arms production lines.
Meanwhile, the tech sector has enabled the collection, storage, and use of Palestinian biometric data by the Israeli government. According to the report, this supports Israel’s discriminatory permit regime.
Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), and Amazon reportedly grant Israel near-government-level access to their cloud and AI technologies. These tools enhance Israel’s data processing and surveillance capacities in Gaza.
US tech company IBM is also held responsible for training Israeli military and intelligence personnel. The report details its role in managing the central database of Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA), which stores Palestinian biometric data.
“US software platform Palantir Technologies was found to have expanded its support for the Israeli military since the war in Gaza began in October 2023,” Al Jazeera further reported.
The report states that there is reasonable belief the company provides predictive policing AI technology used for automated battlefield decision-making, including target selection via AI systems such as “Lavender,” “Gospel,” and “Where’s Daddy?”
From HD Hyundai to Booking.com?
The report also lists several companies that develop civilian technologies used as “multi-purpose tools” for Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. These include Caterpillar, Leonardo’s Rada Electronic Industries, South Korea’s HD Hyundai, and Sweden’s Volvo Group—companies that supply heavy machinery used in house demolitions and illegal settlement construction in the West Bank.
Vacation rental platforms Booking.com and Airbnb are also implicated for aiding illegal settlements by listing properties and hotel rooms in occupied Israeli territory.
The report names US-based Drummond Company and Swiss multinational Glencore as key coal suppliers for Israel’s electricity sector, with much of the coal sourced from Colombia.
In agriculture, China’s Bright Dairy & Food holds a majority stake in Tnuva, Israel’s largest food conglomerate, which profits from land confiscated from Palestinians in illegal Israeli outposts. Netafim, a drip-irrigation technology company 80% owned by Mexico’s Orbia Advance Corporation, provides infrastructure that exploits water resources in the occupied West Bank.
The report also says government bonds play a major role in financing the ongoing war in Gaza. Some of the world’s largest banks—including France’s BNP Paribas and the UK’s Barclays—have reportedly facilitated Israel’s ability to maintain favorable interest rates despite credit downgrades.
The Major Investors
The report identifies major US multinational investment firms as key financiers behind the implicated companies. Chief among them are BlackRock and Vanguard, which hold substantial shares in many of the named entities.
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, is the second-largest institutional investor in Palantir (8.6%), Microsoft (7.8%), Amazon (6.6%), Alphabet (6.6%), and IBM (8.6%), and the third-largest in Lockheed Martin (7.2%) and Caterpillar (7.5%).
Vanguard, the second-largest asset manager globally, is the top institutional investor in Caterpillar (9.8%), Chevron (8.9%), and Palantir (9.1%), and the second-largest in Lockheed Martin (9.2%) and Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems (2%).
Profiting from War?
According to the same report, “colonial and genocidal endeavors have historically been driven and enabled by the corporate sector.” Israel’s expansion in Palestinian territories is cited as an example of “colonial racial capitalism,” in which corporate entities profit from illegal occupation.
For foreign arms companies, war has proven highly profitable. From 2023 to 2024, Israel’s military spending surged by 65%, reaching USD 46.5 billion (around IDR 755 trillion), among the highest per capita worldwide.
Several publicly listed entities—particularly in the arms, tech, and infrastructure sectors—have seen soaring profits since October 2023. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange witnessed an unprecedented 179% rise, adding USD 157.9 billion in market value.
Global insurance giants, including Allianz and AXA, are also investing heavily in stocks and bonds tied to the Israeli occupation, the report states—partly as capital reserves but primarily for profit.
Booking.com and Airbnb continue to profit from rentals on occupied land. Airbnb had previously removed listings in illegal settlements in 2018 but later resumed them, redirecting profits to humanitarian causes—a move the report describes as “humanitarian-washing.”
According to Albanese, corporate entities are obligated to avoid involvement in human rights abuses, whether directly or through business partnerships. States have the primary responsibility to ensure that businesses respect human rights and must prevent, investigate, and punish abuses committed by private actors. (AT Network)
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