Oxfam joint report shows Maersk shipping weapon components to Israel despite earlier claims

Since October 2023, more than 72,700 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, while more than 172,500 have been wounded. At the same time the destruction of civilian infrastructure has been catastrophic: 92 % of assessed commercial and industrial establishments have been destroyed or damaged, 74% of the road network has been destroyed and 90% of energy infrastructure – including the electricity distribution network and associated assets – has been destroyed. The International Court of Justice has assessed that there is a plausible risk that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, and UN experts and human rights organizations have warned that companies supplying weapons or military support to Israel may risk complicity in serious violations of human rights.  

Maersk's shipment of weapons components to Israeli weapons systems deployed in Gaza not only contradicts the company's own stated commitments, it also violates UN and OECD guidelines requiring companies to cease activities that contribute to human rights violations in conflict zones. 

"Under the UN's principles for responsible business conduct, companies are expected to carry out an enhanced risk assessment when operating in conflict areas, in order to prevent contributing to serious human rights violations. Maersk's transport of weapons components to Israel, a country accused of serious war crimes and genocide, is clearly not in line with those standards. This raises serious questions about whether the company has met its human rights due diligence obligations and whether it has done enough to avoid contributing to grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law." says Jonas Devantier, Senior Advisor, Oxfam Denmark.  

Oxfam Denmark and the Palestinian Youth Movement call on Maersk to take concrete steps to immediately cease the transfer of ammunition components and all military cargo to Israel and end any business relationships that risk contributing to or linking it to Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, including acts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.  

In response to a request to comment, Maersk repeats that they since October 2023 have maintained a strict policy of not shipping weapons or ammunition to Israel. And that: “Maersk remains committed to following international standards for responsible business conduct and adheres to local laws and regulations. We continuously review our implementation of such standards, with a view to conducting business responsibly.”