Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are under scrutiny following a report by Eko, a US-based advocacy group, which identified 41 rental listings on Booking.com across 14 settlements. These listings reportedly include properties built on land seized from Palestinian families over decades. One notable case is that of Mohammad al-Sbeih, a resident of al-Khader near Bethlehem, who stated that his family lost 12 acres of farmland in the early 1980s. This land is now part of the Israeli settlement of Neve Daniel, where a house is advertised as a scenic holiday rental. Al-Sbeih expressed his frustration, stating, “A settler is sitting on my land, making a beautiful home, renting it to tourists.”

The legality of Israeli settlements is widely disputed under international law, with the International Court of Justice asserting in a July 2024 advisory opinion that these settlements are unlawful. In response to the report, Booking.com defended its role, stating it merely facilitates travel and does not dictate where customers can visit. The company is also facing a criminal complaint in the Netherlands regarding potential violations of money laundering laws linked to its listings.