What began as a quiet global holiday rental business is now at the center of an explosive international legal row.
Airbnb, the popular platform that helps millions find places to stay worldwide, is facing mounting legal pressure from human rights organizations over its alleged role in profiting from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories.
A Legal Storm Brewing in the UK
This week, a formal complaint was submitted to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
The accusation? That Airbnb may have violated UK anti-money laundering laws by listing over 300 holiday properties in Israeli settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem—areas widely recognized under international law as illegally occupied territories.
The complaint was jointly filed by Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and Palestinian rights group Al-Haq.
They argue Airbnb’s UK branch is profiting from activity linked to violations of international law, essentially turning a blind eye to the wider humanitarian and legal implications of its business operations.
Airbnb’s Name Already on the UN Blacklist
Airbnb’s presence in these contested regions isn’t exactly a secret.
The United Nations already included the company on its blacklist for operating in illegal settlements.
And back in 2014, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled Israel’s occupation of these territories illegal under international law.
That ruling made it clear: any company supporting this occupation through trade or investment is on the wrong side of the law.
Despite this, Airbnb listings in these areas appear to have continued—and now, critics want accountability.
“No One Should Profit from War Crimes”
Ashish Prashar, a former UK advisor on Middle East peace and current GLAN special advisor, didn’t mince words.
“What we’re saying is that no business should be allowed to profit from war crimes,” he told MailOnline.
Prashar argues Airbnb made a conscious decision to operate in areas internationally recognized as stolen land—despite knowing the legal and moral consequences.
GLAN’s position is clear: Airbnb’s leadership, including CEO Brian Chesky and the company’s board, must take responsibility for knowingly profiting from illegal activity.
Investigations Reveal Deeper Issues
A detailed investigation by Al-Haq’s Forensic Architecture Investigation Unit found that Airbnb is enabling Israeli settlers to profit from homes and land that are off-limits to Palestinians.
Their study included maps and listings that paint a troubling picture: a tech platform indirectly sustaining illegal occupation through hospitality.
These findings are part of the evidence handed to the NCA—and may form the basis of a larger criminal investigation.
A Broken Promise from Airbnb?
Airbnb previously pledged to address this issue.
In November 2018, after pressure from Human Rights Watch, it promised to remove listings in Israeli settlements.
But just five months later, in April 2019, the company backtracked—quietly reversing the decision under legal pressure and instead pledging to donate profits from settlement listings to humanitarian causes.
That donation move, critics say, misses the point entirely.
Donations Don’t Erase Criminal Risk, Lawyers Warn
GLAN’s senior lawyer Gerry Liston explained that these are the first-ever cases applying anti-money laundering laws to business activity in illegal Israeli settlements. And they come with weighty implications.
“Senior executives could face prosecution for serious criminal offenses,” he warned.
In other words, Airbnb’s financial decisions might not just be unethical—they could be illegal.
Mounting Global Legal Action
This isn’t just a UK issue anymore. GLAN has also launched legal proceedings in Ireland, where police reportedly refused to investigate Airbnb’s Irish operations tied to the settlements.
In response, GLAN submitted a “preservation letter” to Airbnb’s US headquarters—a legal step that could unlock internal communications and documents for future litigation.
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, a similar complaint has been filed against Booking.com by the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), another human rights group.
Booking.com, like Airbnb, also lists properties in Israeli settlements.
Strong Pushback from Human Rights Leaders
Shawan Jabarin, Director General of Al-Haq, stressed the danger of normalizing business operations in illegal settlements.
“At a time when we are witnessing genocide in Palestine, companies like Airbnb are directly threatening the survival of the Palestinian people,” he said.
Zainah el-Haroun, another spokesperson for Al-Haq, added that corporate donations are no excuse: “No charitable donation can undo the human rights harms caused by facilitating Israel’s unlawful occupation.”
The NCA Responds With Silence—for Now
As of now, the UK’s National Crime Agency has neither confirmed nor denied whether it will launch a criminal investigation into Airbnb.
The agency told Middle East Eye that it does not comment on ongoing or potential investigations.
But with pressure mounting across the UK, Ireland, the US, and the Netherlands, Airbnb’s global model is facing unprecedented legal and ethical scrutiny.
“This Is Not Just Immoral—It’s Illegal”
GLAN’s final word on the matter is loud and clear: “This is not just immoral—we argue that it is illegal.
And we are taking action to stop it.”
Whether or not these efforts lead to criminal charges remains to be seen.
But one thing is certain: Airbnb’s business decisions in occupied territories are no longer flying under the radar.