French Rights Group Files Complaint Against Airbnb, Booking.com Over Settlement Listings

A prominent French human rights organization has filed a legal complaint against major online accommodation platforms Airbnb and Booking.com, accusing them of facilitating and profiting from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The complaint, lodged on October 17, 2025, alleges that the companies are complicit in “aggravated concealment of war crimes” by listing properties located in these contested territories.

The Complaint Filed in Paris

The Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH), a respected French human rights group, initiated legal proceedings in Paris on October 17, 2025. The lawsuit targets Airbnb and Booking.com for what the LDH describes as promoting “occupation tourism.” The central accusation is that by offering accommodation listings in Israeli settlements, these multinational companies directly and indirectly enable the creation and expansion of these settlements, thereby profiting from actions that violate international law.

Patrick Baudouin, the lawyer representing the LDH, stated that “These multinational companies, by offering their services and provisions, enable and facilitate, both directly and indirectly, the creation… and the expansion of Israeli settlements.” The complaint further alleges that the platforms’ practices constitute “assistance… to the concerted Israeli plan of colonization and destruction of the Palestinian population.”

The legal action specifically cites “complicity and aggravated concealment of war crimes” as the basis for the complaint. This framing underscores the severe ethical and legal dimensions of the case, suggesting that the companies’ operations in settlements are not merely commercial but contribute to activities deemed unlawful under international legal frameworks.

Background on Israeli Settlements and International Law

The issue at the heart of the complaint concerns Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The vast majority of the international community, including the United Nations, considers these settlements to be illegal under international law. Israel disputes this classification, citing historical and biblical ties to the region and asserting that the West Bank is a “disputed” rather than “occupied” territory. The settlements have expanded significantly since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967.

As of 2025, over 500,000 Israeli settlers reside in the West Bank, alongside approximately three million Palestinians. The presence and expansion of these settlements are a major point of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Platform Practices and Allegations of “Occupation Tourism”

The complaint highlights how Airbnb and Booking.com present these listings to users. According to the LDH and its legal counsel, Airbnb often lists properties by the name of the settlement (such as Ariel or Yakir) without explicitly stating that it is located in an Israeli settlement or within occupied Palestinian territory. This lack of clear disclosure, critics argue, obscures the political and legal status of these locations.

Booking.com, conversely, reportedly indicates that accommodations are situated in Israeli settlements and “in Palestine.” The LDH contends that even this description, coupled with the promotion of nearby tourist attractions like the Old City of Jerusalem or the Church of the Nativity, actively contributes to and sustains “occupation tourism.”

A report by The Guardian in February 2025 identified approximately 402 listings for apartments, hotels, and houses in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Of these, around 350 were on Airbnb and 52 on Booking.com, collectively offering about 760 rooms capable of accommodating over 2,000 people.

Financial Aspects and Company Responses

The LDH alleges that Airbnb and Booking.com derive substantial profits from these listings. Airbnb has previously stated that it donates profits generated from bookings in the West Bank to humanitarian aid organizations. For the period between May 2024 and April 2025, the company reported profits of $16,681 USD from such bookings.

As of October 17, 2025, there was no immediate response from Airbnb and Booking.com when contacted by news agencies regarding the French complaint.

Broader Context and Historical Precedent

The legal challenges initiated by the LDH are part of a broader and sustained campaign by human rights organizations, Palestinian officials, and anti-Israel activists to pressure online travel companies to cease operations in Israeli settlements.

Historical Actions by Airbnb: In November 2018, Airbnb announced it would remove rental listings in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. However, these listings were reinstated in April 2019 following lawsuits in Israel and the United States, where Jewish American groups accused Airbnb of religious discrimination. Following the reinstatement, the company pledged to donate any profits generated from these listings to humanitarian aid globally.

International Complaints: This is not the first legal action taken against these platforms concerning settlement listings. Similar complaints have been filed against Booking.com in the Netherlands and against Airbnb in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Amnesty International’s Stance: In a report published in January 2019, Amnesty International accused Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and TripAdvisor of profiting from “war crimes” by listing accommodations in settlements. The organization argued that these companies were contributing to and profiting from the maintenance, development, and expansion of illegal settlements, which constitute war crimes under international criminal law. The Israeli government at the time threatened to bar Amnesty International from entering Israel over the report.

UN Scrutiny: The United Nations has also taken note. On September 26, 2025, the UN identified 158 firms from 11 countries involved in activities related to Israeli settlements, including Airbnb and Booking.com. Furthermore, on June 30, 2025, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian territories, condemned major travel platforms for promoting tourism that “legitimizes annexation.”

Broader Implications and Future Outlook

The “Apartheid” Label and Corporate Responsibility

The allegations made against Airbnb and Booking.com are often framed within the context of international human rights law, with some groups employing the term “apartheid” to describe the system in place. Kristyan Benedict of Amnesty International UK stated that companies operating in Israel’s illegal settlements are effectively enabling a “war crime and helping to prop up Israel’s system of apartheid.” This framing assigns a severe ethical and legal dimension to the corporate responsibility of these platforms. It suggests that their operations in settlements are not merely commercial activities but are contributing to a system of racial domination and segregation, which violates fundamental international norms against apartheid. The companies are therefore urged not only to comply with legal directives but also to uphold ethical standards that reject such discriminatory systems.

Calls for Corporate Accountability

The ongoing legal challenges and activism surrounding these listings represent a broader movement toward holding multinational corporations accountable for their actions in politically sensitive and conflict-ridden regions. Human rights organizations argue that businesses have a moral and legal obligation to ensure that their operations do not contribute to human rights violations or international crimes. The use of legal complaints, public campaigns, and investigative journalism aims to exert pressure on companies to conduct thorough human rights due diligence, to be transparent about their operations, and to cease engaging in practices that facilitate or profit from violations of international law. The ultimate goal is to establish a precedent where corporate involvement in activities that support occupation and illegal settlement expansion is no longer tolerated or legally tenable.

The Future of Online Tourism in Contested Territories

The legal battles initiated in France and elsewhere signal a potential turning point in how online travel companies operate in territories subject to international dispute. The outcomes of these cases could have far-reaching implications, influencing not only Airbnb and Booking.com but also other platforms operating in similar contexts. As awareness grows and legal frameworks are tested, companies may face increased pressure to implement stricter due diligence measures, enhance transparency in their listings, and potentially withdraw services from areas that contravene international law. The current legal actions are likely to shape the future landscape of online tourism, encouraging greater corporate responsibility and a more conscientious approach to facilitating travel in regions where human rights and international law are at the forefront of global concern. The ongoing legal proceedings underscore the increasing expectation for global businesses to navigate complex geopolitical issues with ethical considerations and legal compliance at the forefront.

Conclusion

The legal complaint filed by the Ligue des droits de l’Homme against Airbnb and Booking.com represents a significant escalation in efforts to hold online travel giants accountable for their role in activities associated with Israeli settlements. By formally accusing the platforms of complicity in war crimes and promoting “occupation tourism,” the LDH aims to leverage French legal frameworks to challenge practices that contravene international law. The case highlights the growing global demand for corporate responsibility in politically sensitive regions and raises critical questions about the future of online tourism in areas under international dispute, with potential implications for companies worldwide.