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

What the report says

An Al Jazeera investigation published on August 28, 2026 says at least 17 companies linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank hold more than £2.1bn in UK public-sector contracts. The report says the firms, or corporate groups controlling them, have contracts across areas such as emergency communications, transport, road maintenance and driving licensing. It also says the companies were identified through procurement records, company filings and corporate disclosures, and that some appear in a UN human rights database of businesses tied to settlement-related activity.

The largest share of the contracts cited by Al Jazeera is connected to Motorola Solutions and its subsidiaries, especially Airwave Solutions, which supplies the UK’s secure communications network for police, fire and ambulance services. The investigation also names companies within Heidelberg Materials, Egis, CAF and Fosun, saying their business links overlap with settlement-related projects or subsidiaries. Al Jazeera notes that some of these groups are associated with infrastructure or services that critics say help sustain Israeli settlements and deepen control over occupied Palestinian territory.

The article places the findings in the context of growing pressure on the UK government. More than 140 Labour MPs are reportedly urging a ban on trade with illegal settlements, while the government has separately warned businesses against bidding for construction tenders in settlements because of legal and reputational risks. Al Jazeera says the issue raises questions about whether Britain is meeting its international legal obligations after the International Court of Justice said Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and other states should not aid or assist it.