London – ImpACT International for Human Rights Policies calls for urgent international action to hold Israeli construction companies accountable for their involvement in settlement construction projects in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing war on the strip, which is now in its second year.
According to reports monitored by ImpACT, Israel has contracted private companies specialising in settlement construction in the West Bank to carry out settlement projects in northern Gaza. One of these construction companies confirmed that it is employing workers in Beit Lahia, a town near Gaza’s northern border. This marks the first documented instance of a private company operating in northern Gaza.
Reports indicate that "Levy Construction and Infrastructure Ltd.", a settlement construction company based in the illegal Shilo settlement near Ramallah, posted a job advertisement in a Facebook group called "Reservists" to carry out demolition operations in Gaza. However, the use of private contractors allows civilian workers, not just Israeli reservists, to enter Gaza. The job description stated: "We are looking for bulldozer operators for demolition work in Gaza. The job is also suitable for those who have not served in the army," with a promise of a “good financial return.”
Levy Construction specialises in building settlement outposts across the occupied West Bank, particularly in the northern areas and the Jordan Valley. In recent months alone, the company has constructed dozens of settlements in the Nablus and Salfit areas of the West Bank. According to its website, the company “specialises in constructing prefabricated buildings of all kinds—for residential, institutional, and public use.”
Although the advertised position pertains to demolition operations, Levy Construction’s website does not list demolition services. The company is highly specialised in settlement activities and rapid settlement construction. This development comes amid Israel’s large-scale campaign of destruction in northern Gaza. On 30 November, former Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon declared: “Israel is carrying out ethnic cleansing operations in northern Gaza. Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun no longer exist.”
Levy Construction is owned by several settlers, widely documented by numerous Israeli NGOs and monitoring groups for their long history of attacks on Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank. According to Kerem Navot, an Israeli NGO monitoring land policy in the occupied West Bank, the company has constructed settlements known for being among the most violent and brutal against Palestinians.
Israeli researchers have noted Levy Construction’s close ties with the settler organisation "Amana", which is currently under U.S. sanctions, and the West Bank Settlements Council. The group has accelerated its settlement-building activities in recent months. In a Facebook post in September, an activist highlighted Levy Construction’s involvement in building a residential neighbourhood of 62 units in the Itamar settlement near Nablus. In July, a settler tagged Levy Construction on Facebook, thanking them for their role in constructing a new settlement complex in the illegal Revava outpost near Salfit in the West Bank.
In its advertisement to attract workers to northern Gaza, Levy Construction outlined several key conditions for civilian participation in operations beyond Israel’s borders (in Gaza), including:
- The individual acknowledges receiving safety and security instructions for performing duties beyond Israeli borders.
- The individual was offered the option to perform duties as part of the military reserves but chose to carry out the assigned work as a civilian.
- In the event of death during these operations, the individual will be regarded as a "victim of hostile acts."