Mohammad al-Sbeih’s family lost their 5-hectare farm in 1982 when Israeli forces seized it for “national security” near Bethlehem. Today, that same land hosts a Booking.com rental boasting “sea views and gardens”—the exact plot his family once cultivated. “It’s like stealing,” al-Sbeih told investigators. “You have to be judged in the same way.”
His story isn’t isolated. A report from advocacy group Ekō identifies 41 Booking.com listings across 14 illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, clustered around the Jordan Valley and East Jerusalem. These properties sit on land seized from Palestinian families, violating the Fourth Geneva Convention’s prohibition on civilian transfers and constituting war crimes under the Rome Statute.
Criminal Complaints Target Platform Profits
Dutch prosecutors face pressure over alleged money laundering through settlement bookings.
European Legal Support Center, Al-Haq, SOMO, and Rights Forum filed criminal complaints against Booking.com in Dutch courts last November, accusing the Amsterdam-headquartered company of money laundering profits from 51 West Bank settlement listings. The complaint argues that processing payments through the Netherlands for properties on illegally seized land violates anti-money laundering laws. After prosecutorial delays, advocates appealed in April 2026.
The Kisiya family’s 12-year legal battle exemplifies the human cost. Israeli settlers forcibly evicted this Christian Palestinian family from their Al-Makhrour land—a UNESCO World Heritage site near Bethlehem—on July 31, 2024, despite the family winning their Jerusalem court case with ownership documents.
International Law Meets Corporate Neutrality
Platform policies clash with July 2024 World Court ruling on settlement illegality.
The International Court of Justice declared all Israeli settlements illegal in its July 2024 advisory opinion, obligating countries to avoid recognizing or assisting settlement activities. The UN listed both Booking.com and Airbnb among 16 companies tied to settlement operations. A Guardian investigation found 760 rooms listed across both platforms in settlements.
Booking.com maintains its neutrality stance, stating it’s “not our place to decide where someone can travel” and monitors situations through its human rights policy. The company adds small-print conflict warnings only when users specifically search settlement locations. Airbnb reversed its 2018 settlement delisting after facing lawsuits.
You’re increasingly forced to research whether your vacation rental sits on seized land. As ethical tourism gains momentum and legal challenges mount, these platforms face a stark choice: profit from occupation or prioritize human rights. The Dutch courts may soon make that decision for them.
