UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has released a scathing report accusing Israel of transforming its occupation of Palestinian territories into an “economy of genocide”, sustained by the complicity of major multinational corporations across the tech, arms, finance, and energy sectors2.

The 39-page report, titled From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide, will be presented this week before the UN Human Rights Council. It identifies 48 companies directly implicated in enabling or profiting from Israel’s military operations and control mechanisms in Gaza and the West Bank, and references a broader database of over 1,000 entities.

Tech & Surveillance: Companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, IBM, and Palantir are accused of providing cloud infrastructure, AI tools, and biometric surveillance systems that support Israel’s military and population control apparatus.

Arms & Defense: Firms such as Lockheed Martin, Elbit Systems, Leonardo S.p.A, and FANUC are cited for supplying weapons and technologies used in Gaza, including components for F-35 fighter jets.

Construction & Demolition: Heavy machinery from Caterpillar, Hyundai, and Volvo has reportedly been used to demolish Palestinian homes and build illegal settlements.

Energy & Logistics: Corporations like Chevron, BP, Glencore, and Drummond are named for supplying fuel to Israeli infrastructure allegedly used in military operations. Maersk, Booking.com, and Airbnb are accused of facilitating “occupation tourism” in the West Bank2.

Finance & Academia: Investment giants BlackRock, Vanguard, BNP Paribas, and Barclays are said to have funneled billions into companies tied to the occupation. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is criticized for collaborating on Israeli military research2.

Albanese urges UN member states to:

• Hold corporations legally accountable for complicity in human rights violations
• Suspend investment agreements with implicated firms
• Impose sanctions and require reparations for affected Palestinian communities
• Support International Criminal Court investigations into corporate and executive liability

She likens the proposed measures to those used by South Africa during its post-apartheid transition, including tax-based reparations and legal accountability for corporate actors.

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