The United Kingdom has awarded approximately 10.7 million pounds in public sector contracts to companies with documented connections to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to research by Al Jazeera. This occurred following the British government’s announcement of new sanctions powers in September 2026 targeting firms profiting from settlement activity, which the UK characterizes as illegal under international law.
The investigation identified multiple multinational corporations receiving UK contracts despite being listed by the United Nations for their involvement in settlement-related activities. Heidelberg Materials, a German building materials company, secured 14 contracts worth 10.4 million pounds through three of its subsidiaries for roadworks and resurfacing projects with National Highways and local councils. The company’s Israeli subsidiary, Hanson Israel, operates a quarry in the West Bank on land belonging to Palestinian villages. Motorola Solutions holds the largest contract value identified at approximately 1.7 billion pounds, primarily through its subsidiary Airwave Solutions, which provides communications infrastructure for UK emergency services. The UN lists Motorola Solutions for supplying security equipment and services related to settlements.
Other companies identified include Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, which owns Israeli cosmetics manufacturer Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories and has secured UK contracts worth at least 1.3 million pounds, and French engineering group Egis, which provides transport infrastructure services. British officials stated that individual public authorities make supplier decisions on a case-by-case basis and that procurement should not be used to boycott suppliers unless formal sanctions or embargoes are formally established.
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn criticized the situation, arguing that continued contract awards undermine the government’s stated commitment to sanctioning settlement-related businesses. Legal scholars have suggested the companies may be in breach of international humanitarian law obligations. The Cabinet Office declined to comment when contacted by Al Jazeera regarding the contract awards.
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