More than 150 companies have ties to Israeli settlements, UN database finds

More than 150 companies are doing business in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that have been declared illegal by the United Nations' highest court, a report by the organisation's human rights office showed on Friday. Israel, which cites biblical and historical ties to the West Bank, disputes the 2024 ruling by the UN court, arguing that the Palestinian territory is not occupied in legal terms because the land is disputed. Most of the international community takes the UN view, and the human rights office said the 158 companies operating there - 68 of them added since the database was last updated in June 2023 - must ensure they were not contributing to rights abuses. "Where business enterprises identify...