Who Profits from the Genocide of the Palestinians?

On June 16, 2025, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights situation in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967, released a compelling 39-page report titled From the Economy of Occupation to the Economy of Genocide. It contains a harrowing analysis of how corporate interests are interwoven with the occupation of Palestine and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The report names several major multinational firms—including Amazon, BlackRock, Google, Lockheed Martin, and Volvo—accused of profiting from Israel’s colonial project in Gaza and the West Bank. Investments by these corporations support the displacement of Palestinians and their replacement by Israeli settlers. The report urges these companies to sever ties with the genocide.

Tech Giants as Enablers of Surveillance and Warfare

Amazon, through its AWS (Amazon Web Services), is implicated in providing cloud infrastructure to Israeli intelligence via Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract shared with Google. The service supports surveillance and data processing for the Israeli government and military.

Google, alongside Amazon and Microsoft, offers cloud and AI services—through Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure—that enhance data processing, decision-making, surveillance, and analytics for Israel’s military. This includes protection from accountability by housing critical data on sovereign servers with minimal oversight

Industry insiders and military officials have characterized such cloud technologies as weapons—tools of war that facilitate the ongoing genocide

Defense and Data Firms Deeply Complicit

Palantir, a U.S.-based data analytics company, partnered with Israel’s military-industrial complex in late 2023, providing systems used in targeted operations—what the report considers acts of genocide. CEO Alex Karp admitted their involvement in military missions, while Israeli officials referred to Palantir’s data systems as essential for “precision” targeting.

Systemic Profits from Occupation

UNCTAD estimates that Israel earns $41 billion annually through exploitation of the occupied West Bank—roughly 7% of Israel’s GDP—without accounting for indirect benefits from a captive exploited population. A UN database (2020) lists multinationals such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor, General Mills, and Motorola profiting from providing services in occupied territories considered illegal under international law.

The Who Profits? Research Center maintains a database of companies involved in the occupation and regularly publishes reports, including one exploring how Israel’s renewable energy sector exploits occupied natural resources to greenwash its actions.

The Genocide Gentry initiative targets leaders of weapons manufacturers—including Boeing, Elbit Systems of America, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and RTX—exposing their ties to cultural and educational institutions that rely on their support.

Albanese’s report illuminates the reality that genocide and occupation are not just driven by political actors but underpinned by a network of powerful multinational corporations, financial entities, and technology providers. From weapon systems to advanced surveillance tools, from global online platforms to real estate listings, profit is deeply embedded in the machinery that sustains colonial violence.

The report concludes with a sharp call to action: “You must stop benefiting from genocide.” Silence, it warns, is no longer an option.

©TNPP