The United Kingdom awarded 10.7 million pounds in new public contracts to firms with links to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The funding was distributed despite British government pledges to punish companies that profit from settlement activity.
The contracts were published after the British government announced new powers on September 8 to sanction companies profiting from business with Israeli settlements. Settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.
An analysis of procurement records, company filings, and contract data supplied by Tussell found that businesses named by the United Nations over their involvement in illegal settlements, alongside their subsidiaries, secured contracts across the British public sector. Neve Gordon, a law professor at Queen Mary University of London, said the businesses appear to be in breach of their legal obligations under international humanitarian law.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the House of Commons on September 8 that the government would take action against specific companies and individuals providing services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion. Since the announcement, UK public bodies have published details of an additional 18 public contracts with companies linked to illegal settlements.
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn told reporters that Britain cannot credibly claim to impose sanctions while letting contracts continue through the back door. The Cabinet Office did not respond to requests for comment regarding the awards.
One group listed in the UN settlement index for commercial use of natural resources is Heidelberg Materials, a German building materials firm. Three Heidelberg subsidiaries were named in 14 contracts worth 10.4 million pounds, mostly for roadworks and resurfacing. Its Israeli subsidiary, Hanson Israel, owns the Nahal Raba quarry in the West Bank, which sits on land belonging to Palestinian villages.
Heidelberg stated that Hanson Israel ceased operations at the quarry in 2023. Research group Who Profits stated that approval for the expansion of the quarry was granted on May 28, 2025, and Heidelberg did not dispute the assertion.
Motorola Solutions and its subsidiaries secured two contracts worth about 87,900 pounds to provide police communications. Motorola accounts for the largest share of identified contracts, largely through its UK subsidiary Airwave Solutions, which holds billions in emergency services communication agreements. The UN lists Motorola for settlement-related activities including security equipment.
Chinese conglomerate Fosun International is identified by the UN for commercial use of water and land due to its connection to cosmetics manufacturer Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories. Its subsidiary Breas Medical secured a contract worth 98,000 pounds with Hull hospitals.
French engineering group Egis provides transport infrastructure linking settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. Egis stated it formally expressed disagreement with its inclusion in the UN database.
