Mohammad al-Sbeih still treasures memories of his family's small farm in the hills south of Bethlehem, where three generations cultivated wheat and barley. 'It was a hard plot to farm as it was on a hillside with terraces, but it was so beautiful,' he recalls. Today, that land lies under the houses and roads of the Israeli settlement Neve Daniel, and a rental property on the site is being advertised on Booking.com. The listing describes the property as having 'a garden, terrace, fresh air, and scenic surroundings,' with a picnic area 'ideal for outdoor gatherings.'
Report Highlights 41 Listings in Illegal Settlements
A new report by Ekō, a US-based advocacy group, identifies 41 Booking.com listings across 14 illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. These are concentrated in two areas: the Jordan Valley (including the Dead Sea) and the settlement ring around East Jerusalem, with two listings inside Jerusalem's Old City. The transfer of civilians into occupied territory violates the Fourth Geneva Convention and constitutes a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Booking.com's main operating arm is headquartered in the Netherlands, where Dutch prosecutors are reviewing a criminal complaint by the European Legal Support Center. The complaint argues that settlement-linked bookings may amount to money laundering under Dutch law, as the underlying activity is connected to illegal settlements.
Legal and Historical Context
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion in July 2004 confirming the illegality of Israeli settlements and obligating states not to recognize them. Israel disputes the applicability of the Geneva Conventions to the West Bank, arguing the territory was not sovereign before 1967. Airbnb also lists settlement properties; a Guardian investigation in February 2025 found 760 rooms listed by both companies. Airbnb pledged to stop settlement listings in 2018 but reversed course after legal challenges.
In 2022, Booking.com added small-print labelling for settlements, advising guests to consult government advisories about conflict-affected areas. A spokesperson stated: 'Our mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world... we believe it's not our place to decide where someone can or cannot travel.' The company's human rights statement says it will 'take appropriate action' where it is directly linked to negative human rights impacts.
Family's Long Legal Battle
Al-Sbeih's family has fought in Israeli courts since their five-hectare farm was seized in 1982. 'We brought all our documents, title deeds, and an agricultural expert's certificate. The other side brought nothing,' he said. The seizure was upheld on national security grounds, a common pattern in West Bank land confiscations. The land lay unused for two decades while the family was barred from visiting. Eventually, Neve Daniel expanded onto the plot. Al-Sbeih used to show his children the land from a distance, but movement restrictions since October 2023 have ended even that.
When Ekō researchers showed him the Booking.com map last month, he broke down. 'I thought it should be my children and grandchildren in that beautiful spot. It was meant to be theirs,' he said. 'I know this is a big company, and this is a small thing. But when you steal $10, it's like stealing a million dollars, and you have to be judged the same way.'
Ekō's report, titled 'Booking.com: experience Israel's illegal occupation,' states: 'Every day Booking.com fails to act is another day it profits from the theft of Palestinian land and props up a government implicated in atrocity crimes.'
