Legal Framework & Authority Guide

An occupying power "shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population" into the territory it occupies. This is the rule that makes every settlement unlawful.

Destroying property is prohibited unless absolutely necessary for military operations. Extensive destruction or appropriation, unlawfully and wantonly carried out, is a grave breach that states must prosecute.

Pillage is prohibited. The occupier is only "administrator and usufructuary" of public property and must safeguard its capital. The ICJ applied Article 55 to Israel in July 2024.

Transferring, "directly or indirectly", an occupier's population into occupied territory is a war crime, as is pillage (art. 8). Anyone who aids or abets a crime "for the purpose of facilitating" it is liable (art. 25(3)(c)). The Court tries individuals only, not companies.

The "purpose" standard for aiding is stricter than the knowledge-based tests in some national laws.

States must prevent and punish genocide, and complicity in genocide is punishable. The ICJ held in 2007 that the duty to prevent arises as soon as a state learns, or should have learned, of a serious risk.

Settlements have "no legal validity" and are "a flagrant violation under international law". All states should "distinguish, in their relevant dealings", between Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.

The Court found a real and imminent risk to the right of Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts of genocide, and ordered Israel to prevent them, to enable humanitarian aid and, in May 2024, to halt its Rafah offensive.

Israel's continued presence in the occupied territory is unlawful and must end; it must stop new settlement and evacuate settlers. All states must "abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the Occupied Palestinian Territory … which may entrench its unlawful presence" and "take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation".

Advisory and addressed to states, but an authoritative statement of the law.

Calls on states to ensure that "companies and entities under their jurisdiction" give no aid or assistance to the occupation, to stop importing settlement products, to stop arms transfers where they may be used in the occupied territory, and to impose sanctions.

As occupying power, Israel must ensure the population has essential supplies and must agree to and facilitate UN relief schemes, including UNRWA. Its allegations against UNRWA staff were not substantiated.

Reasonable grounds to believe both bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.

The independent Commission found that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, finding four of the five prohibited acts and inferring intent from leaders' statements and the pattern of conduct.

An expert UN body, not a court.

Lists businesses with reasonable grounds to conclude they are involved in one or more of ten settlement-related activities. OHCHR says it is not a judicial process.

Maps the arms, technology, finance and other companies sustaining the occupation and the assault on Gaza, and argues that due diligence requires them to withdraw.

Companies must avoid causing or contributing to harm and seek to prevent harm they are linked to (principle 13), carry out human rights due diligence (17–19), and treat the risk of contributing to gross abuses as a legal compliance issue (23).

Expect risk-based due diligence across the value chain, including how products are used. Anyone can complain to the National Contact Point in a company's home country, which can mediate and publish findings but not penalise.

Extends UK human rights sanctions to serious violations of international humanitarian law and obstruction of humanitarian aid, including those who facilitate, finance or supply them. The government says settlement actors, including the E1 project, are in scope.

Will ban imports of goods made in illegal settlements and advertising of settlement land and property, while protecting trade with Israel inside the Green Line.

Asset freezes and travel bans, including on Hilltop Youth, Lehava and the settlement-building organisation Amana. Dealing with the funds of anyone designated is a criminal offence.

Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are offences in UK law, and aiding or abetting them abroad is an offence for UK nationals and residents. Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions can be prosecuted whatever the offender's nationality. Prosecution needs the Attorney General's consent.

Never yet used over Israel or the occupied territory; corporate liability is untested.

No licence where there is a "clear risk" items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The government found that risk for items usable in Gaza, but carved out F-35 parts for the global spares pool.

The Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq challenged the F-35 carve-out. The courts held it a lawful exercise of ministerial discretion on national security and did not rule on whether it complies with international law.

Directors must promote the company's success having regard to, among other things, its reputation for high standards of business conduct and the long-term consequences of decisions. Only the company, or shareholders on its behalf, can enforce it.

Dealing in the proceeds of criminal conduct is money laundering. Campaigners argue that trading settlement goods deals in the proceeds of a war crime; in October 2024 the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians sent pre-action letters to eight supermarkets on that basis.

Protects workers who make a disclosure in the public interest that they reasonably believe shows a crime or breach of a legal obligation, to their employer or a prescribed body such as the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation or HMRC, and more widely under further conditions.

Government guidance barring local government pension funds from investment policies contrary to UK foreign policy was unlawful. Pension administrators may weigh non-financial factors within their fiduciary duties.

The government advises against economic and financial activity in illegal Israeli settlements. Settlement goods do not get UK–Israel tariff preferences, and labelling them "Produce of Israel" may mislead consumers.

Will require EU companies with more than 5,000 staff and €1.5 billion turnover, and non-EU companies with €1.5 billion EU turnover, to identify, prevent and address human rights harms. The EU-wide civil liability regime was deleted; fines are capped at 3% of turnover.

Member states "shall deny" an export licence where there is a clear risk the equipment might be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law. It binds governments, not companies.

Food from Israeli settlements must be labelled with its settlement origin. "Product of Israel" alone misleads consumers. It is a labelling rule, not a ban.

Entities established or operating in the territories occupied in 1967 cannot receive EU grants, prizes or financial instruments.

Asset freezes and travel bans. EU persons may not make funds or resources available to those listed. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were dropped from the 2026 package to secure unanimity.

An EU review found indications Israel is breaching the human rights clause (Article 2). The Commission proposed removing Israel's preferential tariffs, which needs a qualified majority of member states.

Unlisted cyber-surveillance items need a licence if they may be used for internal repression or serious violations of human rights or humanitarian law. Exporters who learn of such a risk must notify the authorities.

Importing goods from designated settlement areas in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is a customs offence. Services were left out on legal advice.

Divested from six Israeli companies, including Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi, on the basis of the UN settlement database, and sold its Israeli government bonds.

Companies with 5,000 staff in France, or 10,000 worldwide, must publish and implement a vigilance plan. Anyone with standing can serve formal notice and then ask the Paris court for an injunction; damages require fault and causation.

A French company was convicted as a legal person over payments to armed groups in Syria. Earlier rulings allowed a complicity charge against a company that knowingly funded an organisation committing crimes.

The Ligue des droits de l'Homme alleges that the Marseille company Eurolinks supplied ammunition-belt links to an Elbit Systems subsidiary, and asks for an investigation into complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Companies with 1,000 staff in Germany must carry out human rights due diligence in their supply chains. The regulator BAFA enforces it; the Act creates no new right for victims to sue.

A temporary stop on new licences for military equipment usable in Gaza. It no longer applies.

Bans importing, buying, selling and brokering goods from Israeli settlements, including the Golan, applies to Dutch companies abroad and prohibits circumvention. Importers must keep proof of origin.

The decision belongs to the government, but it must apply the clear-risk test for serious violations of humanitarian law without weighing wider foreign policy interests.

Import licences will be refused where goods are shown, or reasonably suspected, to come from settlements, including East Jerusalem.

Bans exports and imports of defence material and some dual-use goods with Israel, subject to cabinet exceptions; bans transit of military jet fuel and imports of settlement products; and makes advertising settlement goods unlawful.

Bans arms trade and transit with Israel, with limited exceptions, and imports from the settlements.

The fund excluded Caterpillar over bulldozers used in unlawful destruction and five Israeli banks over settlement finance. The review proposes removing the criterion on arms sales to states that use them in serious violations of humanitarian law. These are proposals, not yet law.

After Kiobel (2013), Jesner (2018) and Nestlé (2021), the Court in Cisco held that courts cannot recognise new causes of action under the Statute, and that the Torture Victim Protection Act has no aiding-and-abetting liability.

Directors breach their duty of loyalty if they make no good-faith effort to monitor mission-critical compliance risk, or consciously ignore red flags. The bar is high.

Bars State Department aid to foreign security units credibly implicated in gross violations of human rights. In 2024 the State Department found five Israeli units had committed gross violations, then treated all as remediated.

Limit US arms to legitimate uses and bar security aid to countries restricting US humanitarian aid. They give no private right to sue.

Companies can now exclude shareholder proposals without SEC review, at their own legal risk, and 2025 guidance made exclusion easier.

Protect employees of listed companies who report securities fraud, or who report to the SEC. They do not cover human rights concerns as such.

Permits must be refused where there is a substantial risk of serious violations. Existing permits continue: C$14.7 million of military goods went to Israel in 2025, and US-routed F-35 parts largely escape control.

Asset freezes and dealings bans. Canadian institutions may not provide services to those listed.

Makes genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes offences, and can reach organisations through their senior officers. Prosecution needs the Attorney General's consent.

The government says it does not supply weapons to Israel, but permits cover military and dual-use goods, and F-35 parts flow through the global pool. In June 2026 the Federal Court ordered the government to list documents, including on F-35 parts, in a case brought by Al-Haq, Al Mezan and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.

Targeted financial sanctions and travel bans. Dealing with the assets of those listed is a criminal offence.

Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are offences with wide reach abroad, and companies can be guilty of them, including through their corporate culture. Prosecution needs the Attorney-General's consent.

Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are domestic offences, with jurisdiction over non-nationals present in South Africa and a duty to investigate.

South African citizens and residents need government authorisation to serve in a foreign army. The government warned citizens serving in the Israeli military in 2023.

Türkiye stopped direct trade with Israel and later barred Israeli ships from its ports. Indirect trade through third countries has been reported.

Colombia banned coal exports to Israel; exports had fallen to zero by late 2025, and South African coal filled part of the gap.

Banned Israeli-flagged ships and ZIM vessels from its ports, and stopped Israel-bound ships loading there.