Palestine: French businesses operating in the settlements Israel / Palestine Foreign policy News Published on : June 30th 2026 Updated on : July 03rd 2026 As settlement-building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is accelerating, we wish to draw the attention of businesses and their subsidiaries, as well as French citizens, to the legal, economic and reputational risks associated with all economic and financial activity in the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Israel has occupied the territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights since 1967. It has established settlements and outposts in these occupied territories. France’s position on this matter is clear: these settlements are illegal under international law and are an obstacle to the successful implementation of the two-State solution, pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) and to the conclusions of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of 19 July 2024. Financial transactions, investments, procurement and supplies and all other economic activities in the settlements or which benefit the settlements can lead to disputes related to land, water, mineral or other natural resources, which have been purchased or invested in. Consequently, businesses involved in the activity of Israeli settlements are exposing themselves to the risk of being found guilty of violating international law. Their participation in the building of settlements in an occupied territory comes with legal, economic and reputational risks for them. Businesses operating in the West Bank and East Jerusalem may be added to the database of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) listing all economic and financial actors involved in economic activity in the Occupied Territories, pursuant to Resolution 31/36 adopted by the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 24 March 2016, and enhanced by Resolution 53/25 adopted on 14 July 2023. On 29 September 2025, the OHCHR presented a public report updating this database. The latest update focused on activities relating to the exploitation of land. France recalls the obligation on imports companies to comply with the applicable rules on the labelling of food supplies originating in the territories occupied by Israel.