The United Nations has recently augmented its contentious blacklist, incorporating almost 70 additional companies from 11 different countries. These firms are accused of contributing to human rights violations through their commercial engagements with Israeli settlements situated in the occupied West Bank.
This expanded list specifically targets businesses whose activities are perceived as supportive of these settlements. Many international bodies consider these settlements to be illegal under international law. The companies span a wide range of sectors, including suppliers of construction materials, heavy machinery operators, as well as providers of security, travel, and financial services.
Now officially known as a “database of companies,” the registry comprises 158 entities. While the vast majority are Israeli, other companies on the list hail from the United States, Canada, China, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
Notable additions to the blacklist include the German building-materials giant Heidelberg Materials, Portuguese rail systems specialist Steconfer, and Spanish transportation engineering firm Ineco. Among those maintained on the list are major players in the travel industry, such as U.S.-based Expedia Group, Booking Holdings Inc., and Airbnb, Inc.
Although 68 new companies were added to the list on Friday, September 26, 2025, seven were removed during this review. A total of 215 business enterprises underwent assessment in this latest round, with potentially hundreds more facing scrutiny in the future.
The creation of this blacklist stems from a resolution passed by the UN’s principal human rights body nearly a decade ago. Israel has consistently and strongly condemned the list since its inception. This latest revision could further intensify Israel’s international isolation, particularly as some of its European allies have recently recognized an independent Palestinian state amidst ongoing concerns over Israel’s military actions in Gaza against Hamas.