Israel-Hamas conflict: Banks must avoid complicity in human rights violations

By Ryan Brightwell*
Like so many of our work partners globally, BankTrack is shocked by the horrific events that have unfolded in Israel, the Gaza strip, and the West Bank since the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7th. We mourn the innocent victims of this conflict, in Gaza and in Israel, and support the call on all parties in this conflict for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
Over the last weeks, human rights organisations have been sounding urgent alarm bells. Human Rights Watch has stated that both the October 7th Hamas and Islamic Jihad attacks and the Israeli government’s response constitute war crimes, and has called for a suspension of the transfer of arms to the warring parties “given the real risk that they will be used to commit grave abuses.” The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) speaks of “mounting evidence of a sharp spike in human rights abuses” gathered by its Palestinian and Israeli members, including settler violence in the West Bank, arbitrary arrests and a crackdown on freedom of speech. The UN has warned that Gaza “is running out of time”, and has demanded a ceasefire “to prevent genocide”.
No end to this conflict, let alone a lasting peace, can be envisioned without an end to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. Yet, financial institutions – including some of the world’s largest banks – have for years been investing billions into companies playing a critical role in the functioning and expansion of illegal settlements. This is clear from the research of the Don’t Buy Into Occupation (DBIO) coalition, of which BankTrack is a member. We call on all commercial banks with ties to Israel and its illegal settlement enterprises to attend to the recommendations of the DBIO coalition, including by seeking a responsible exit from client relationships where the bank is not able to use its leverage to effect change.
Beyond this, the current escalation of violence calls for banks and other financial institutions to take urgent action to ensure they are upholding their responsibilities, as outlined in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. These include the responsibility to conduct heightened human rights due diligence to ensure they avoid contributing to human rights abuses and breaches of international law.
Banks should urgently cease financing any companies associated with grave human rights violations. This includes companies knowingly supplying weapons to combatants that are used in attacks on civilians. Such companies, as Human Rights Watch has stated, may be complicit in war crimes, and banks should ensure their finance does not make them complicit in these crimes as well.
---
*Human Rights Campaign Lead, BankTrack

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov, the artist who survived Stalin's cultural purges

By Harsh Thakor* Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov (September 14, 1885 – April 20, 1964) was a Soviet artist, professor, academician, and teacher. His work was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest artistic honour of the USSR. His paintings traced the development of socialist realism in the visual arts while retaining qualities drawn from impressionism. Gerasimov reconciled a lyrical approach to nature with the demands of Soviet socialist ideology.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Public money, private profits: Crop insurance scheme as goldmine for corporates

By Vikas Meshram The farmer in India is not merely a food provider; he is the soul of the nation. For centuries, enduring natural calamities and bearing debt generation after generation while remaining loyal to the soil, this community now finds itself trapped in a different kind of crisis. In February 2016, the Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with the stated objective of freeing farmers from the shackles of debt. It was an ambitious attempt to provide a strong safety net to cultivators repeatedly devastated by excessive rainfall, drought, and hailstorms.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Search This Blog