An Al Jazeera and Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) investigation alleges that Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has provided shipping services to companies reported to be operating in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Israeli settlements have been widely considered illegal under international law, because they are built on occupied territory. Therefore commercialising products from these settlements effectively supports the illegal settlements.

According to Al Jazeera, this ongoing trade stands in contrast with a landmark 2024 opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advising that third states are obliged to “prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.

Bills of lading obtained by Al Jazeera and PYM allegedly show that MSC delivered shipments on behalf of at least two companies, listing their address in Maale Adumim and the nearby Mishor Adumim industrial zone.

Maya, a wholesale supplier for supplement and candy companies, lists Mishor Adumim in the shipper address. Extal, a private company that develops aluminium solutions and holds partnerships with Israeli weapons manufacturers – including Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems – listed the Mishor Adumim industrial zone in all 38 bills of lading.

In at least three other cases, MSC delivered shipments on behalf of settlement-based companies listed in the OHCHR database. This includes 17 shipments from Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories, an Israeli world-renowned cosmetic brand that, according to the reporting "has come under intense scrutiny for reportedly pillaging Palestinian natural resources".

Other named companies include Aquestia Ltd, a company that specialises in hydraulic systems, that list Kfar Haruv and Ramat HaGolan in the shipper address, and Miriam Shoham, which exports fresh fruit, also lists Ramot HaGolan, and polypropylene manufacturer Mapal Cooperative Society lists Mevo Hama.

MSC told Al Jazeera in a statement that it “respects global legal frameworks and regulations wherever it operates” and applies this “to all shipments to and from Israel”.

In February 2026, the BHRC reached out to the companies named in the article including Aquestia, Mapal Cooperative Society, Miriam Shoham, Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories and Maya Food Industries.

Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories responded to the allegations stating that it "categorically rejects any assertion that it “pillages” Palestinian natural resources or engages in any unlawful exploitation of natural assets..." and that "Ahava sources its natural ingredients exclusively from areas that are within the undisputed Israeli borders and in full compliance with applicable Israeli law and relevant regulatory frameworks. Our raw material extraction and production processes are conducted pursuant to valid licenses and permits issued by the competent authorities. At no point does Ahava extract resources from privately or publicly owned Palestinian land, nor does it operate in violation of property rights or international trade regulations." The company's response can be read in full below.