UK has billions in contracts with firms tied to illegal Israeli settlements

UK public money worth more than £2.1 billion has been awarded to 17 companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, an Al Jazeera investigation has shown. The firms, identified by the United Nations Human Rights Office as providing services that support settlement activities, hold 125 UK public‑sector contracts covering road maintenance, transport, emergency services and driving licensing.

The findings come as over 140 Labour MPs have urged the government to ban trade with illegal settlements, a move Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly considering. “Evidence is growing that the UK may be in breach of its international obligations … by continuing to contract with entities identified by the UN as providing assistance of this sort,” said Stephen Humphreys, a professor of international law at the London School of Economics, to Al Jazeera.

Data compiled by procurement analysts Tussell, and supplied to the outlet, show that the 17 companies and their subsidiaries hold contracts with a combined value of £2.129 billion. Motorola Solutions dominates the list, with its British subsidiary Airwave Solutions alone accounting for £1.562 billion of the total. Other major groups include German building‑materials group Heidelberg Materials, French engineering firm Egis, Spanish train manufacturer CAF and Chinese conglomerate Fosun International.

The United Nations Human Rights Office’s 2020 database lists the five corporate groups as involved in settlement‑related activities. Heidelberg’s Israeli subsidiary owns a quarry on Palestinian land in the West Bank; Motorola is linked to security infrastructure in settlements; Egis and CAF are involved in Jerusalem’s expanding light‑rail network, which critics say entrenches Israeli control; and Fosun’s subsidiary Breas Medical, which receives UK public money, also owns Ahava, a cosmetics manufacturer operating in the Mitzpe Shalem settlement.

The investigation also highlighted the scale of UK contracts for Motorola’s security and communications equipment. Airwave Solutions was awarded a £1.562 billion extension by the Home Office to provide a secure communications network for police, fire and ambulance services across England, Scotland and Wales. Motorola Solutions UK holds additional contracts worth £123.9 million, including a £36.5 million Ministry of Defence contract for Airwave radios and accessories.

Heidelberg Materials’ British subsidiaries hold 25 public‑sector contracts worth £184.79 million, almost all of which are held by Hanson Quarry Products Europe Ltd. The company’s Israeli subsidiary, Hanson Israel, owns the Nahal Raba quarry south of Qalqilya in the West Bank.

In July 2024 the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and ordered the state to end it “as rapidly as possible.” The court also instructed other states not to provide aid or assistance that would maintain the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence. The ruling raises questions about Britain’s continued commercial relationships with the companies identified in the Al Jazeera investigation.

The UK government has warned businesses against bidding for construction tenders in illegal settlements. A statement issued this month said that “businesses should not consider bidding for construction tenders” and that doing so could lead to “legal and reputational consequences” and risk involvement in “serious breaches of international law.”

The Cabinet Office said that individual public authorities decide on excluding suppliers on a case‑by‑case basis for each contract and that public procurement should not be used to boycott suppliers linked to other countries unless formal UK sanctions, embargoes or restrictions are in place.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the findings expose a contradiction between the UK’s stated position and its economic ties. “The UK government is propping up apartheid,” he said. “Every day, the UK deepens its complicity in Israel’s economy of occupation and, in turn, Israel’s economy of genocide.”

Al Jazeera’s investigation relied on publicly available procurement records, company filings and corporate disclosures. No comment was received from Motorola Solutions in response to a request for comment. The UK government has not yet indicated whether it will investigate the contracts in light of the UN database or the International Court of Justice ruling.