What happened:
On 8 September Ed Miliband told the Commons that Israel's occupation of the West Bank is unlawful, that this "should be reflected in the economic relationships we choose to have with the occupied territories", and that anyone who finances or facilitates illegal settlements will "face the full force of UK sanctions". In the two months since, UK public bodies have published 18 new contracts worth £10.7m with companies the United Nations has named for their part in the settlements, or with their subsidiaries. Al Jazeera found them in contract data from Tussell and published them on 10 November. Fourteen, worth £10.4m, went to three subsidiaries of Heidelberg Materials, mostly for road resurfacing for National Highways and councils in Nottingham and Lincolnshire. Motorola Solutions won two contracts for police communications, a Fosun subsidiary won one with hospitals in Hull, and an Egis subsidiary won another.
The bigger money:
In August Al Jazeera found the same corporate groups holding 125 UK public contracts worth £2.129bn. Almost all of it is Motorola's. The Home Office extended its contract with Airwave, the Motorola subsidiary that runs the radio network used by the police, fire and ambulance services, by £1.562bn.
Why the UN names these companies:
The UN Human Rights Office keeps a database of businesses it has "reasonable grounds to believe" are involved in Israel's illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Its 2025 report lists Motorola Solutions and its Israeli subsidiary for supplying security services, equipment and materials to businesses operating in the settlements, and for providing services that keep the settlements running. Motorola has been in the database since it was first published in 2020. Heidelberg Materials and its Israeli subsidiary Hanson Israel are listed for using natural resources, in particular land and water, for business: Hanson Israel quarried stone at Nahal Raba in the occupied West Bank. Egis is listed for services that support the settlements. Novara Media reports that this is its work planning the Jerusalem light rail, which rights groups say links settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. Fosun International is listed for using the land and natural resources for business. Motorola, Heidelberg and Egis were named again in the UN's update of September 2026.