UK Awards Millions in Contracts to Firms Linked to Illegal West Bank Settlements Despite Sanctions Promises

An investigation by Al Jazeera has revealed that the United Kingdom has awarded new public contracts totaling 10.7 million pounds ($14.4 million) to firms associated with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. This comes despite the British government's commitments to penalize companies that profit from settlement activities.

These contracts were disclosed following the UK government's announcement on September 8 of new powers to sanction companies profiting from business with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are deemed illegal under international law. An extensive analysis of procurement records, company filings, corporate disclosures, and contract data, provided by the British public sector market intelligence firm Tussell, found that businesses identified by the United Nations for their involvement in illegal Israeli settlements, as well as companies they ultimately own or control, have secured contracts across the UK public sector.

Neve Gordon, a professor at the school of law at Queen Mary University of London, stated that these companies "appear to be in breach of their legal obligations under international humanitarian law." Gordon further commented to Al Jazeera, "Any UK company that is involved in the occupation is likely to be in direct breach of the sanctions regime Ed Miliband is putting in place," referring to the UK Foreign Secretary.

This revelation follows a prior Al Jazeera investigation in August, which uncovered that at least 17 companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank had been awarded UK public-sector contracts exceeding 2.1 billion pounds ($2.85 billion).

On September 8, Ed Miliband informed the House of Commons that the government would "take action against specific companies and individuals who provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing or real estate for settlement expansion." He added, "To those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements, let me say this: you will face the full force of UK sanctions … Settlements are illegal."

However, since this announcement, UK public bodies have revealed details of an additional 18 public contracts awarded to companies linked to illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Former Labour Party leader and MP Jeremy Corbyn told Al Jazeera, "Britain cannot credibly claim that it is imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements while letting contracts continue through the back door. The fact that public money is still going to firms that could be targeted under the government’s own sanctions regime … is outrageous and frankly insulting to the public."

Al Jazeera sought comment from the Cabinet Office regarding this matter but received no response. The Cabinet Office had previously informed Al Jazeera that individual public authorities are responsible for deciding on supplier exclusions on a case-by-case basis for each contract they award. They also stated that UK public procurement should not be used to boycott suppliers linked to other countries unless formal British sanctions, embargoes, or restrictions are in place.

Heidelberg Materials

Heidelberg Materials, a multinational building materials firm headquartered in Germany, was listed by the UN in its September 2026 settlement index update for its commercial use of natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory. Three subsidiaries of Heidelberg were named in 14 contracts worth 10.4 million pounds ($14.5 million), primarily for roadworks and resurfacing projects for National Highways and councils in Nottingham and Lincolnshire. The group has secured at least 35 UK contracts valued at approximately 194.7 million pounds ($261 million) through five of its subsidiaries. Its Israeli subsidiary, Hanson Israel, operates the Nahal Raba quarry south of Qalqilya in the West Bank. According to Who Profits, a group that researches private sector links to the economy in the occupied territory, the quarry is situated on land belonging to the Palestinian villages of az-Zawiya and Rafat. A planning notice from the Civil Administration Service, reviewed by Al Jazeera, indicates a proposal for the site's expansion was approved. Heidelberg Materials' website states the firm engages in "quarrying, grinding and screening of natural dolomite or limestone rock." Heidelberg had previously informed Al Jazeera that Hanson Israel had ceased operations at the quarry and associated plants in 2023. However, Who Profits reported that approval for the quarry's expansion was granted on May 28, 2025. Heidelberg did not dispute this assertion in its response to Al Jazeera's inquiries.

Motorola Solutions

Motorola Solutions and its subsidiaries were awarded two contracts, valued at approximately 87,900 pounds ($118,000), for providing communications equipment to the police service. Motorola Solutions remains the largest contributor by value to the contracts identified by Al Jazeera, with approximately 1.7 billion pounds ($2.28 billion), largely through its UK subsidiary Airwave Solutions. The Home Office awarded Airwave an extension worth 1.562 billion pounds ($2.13 billion) for its provision of the secure communications network used by police, fire, and ambulance services across England, Scotland, and Wales. Motorola Solutions UK independently holds contracts totaling 123.9 million pounds ($170 million), including a 36.5-million-pound ($49.8 million) contract with the Ministry of Defence for Airwave radios, accessories, and airtime. The UN lists Motorola Solutions for its involvement in settlement-related activities, including the supply of security equipment and services. Procurement records examined by Al Jazeera show Motorola's command-and-control technology is utilized in security and surveillance infrastructure by authorities in the occupied West Bank. Motorola Solutions group was contacted for comment but did not respond.

Fosun International

The UN identifies Chinese conglomerate Fosun International under the category of commercial use of natural resources, specifically water and land. Its connection to the occupied West Bank is primarily through the Israeli cosmetics manufacturer Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories. In the UK, Breas Medical, a subsidiary of Fosun International owned by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, secured a contract worth 98,000 pounds ($131,000) with Hull hospitals. This award brings the total value of public-sector contracts held by the group to at least 1.3 million pounds ($1.74 million). Fosun was contacted for comment but did not respond.

Egis

French engineering group Egis is linked through transport infrastructure that connects illegal Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem with other parts of the city. The UN lists Egis for its "provision of services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements, including transport." Egis informed Al Jazeera that it "formally expressed its disagreement with this inclusion" in the UN database. A new contract valued at 84,000 pounds ($113,000) was awarded to Thomas & Adamson International Limited, a subsidiary of Egis. This award increases the total value of public contracts held by Egis and its subsidiaries to at least 133.7 million pounds ($179.3 million).