Palestinian family was driven off from their West Bank home, now the property is listed on Booking.com as ‘ideal for outdoor gatherings’

A rental property located in the Neve Daniel settlement is currently being advertised on Booking.com, marketing its scenic views and outdoor gathering spaces on land that was once owned by the family of Mohammad al-Sbeih, The Guardian reported. This property, which sits in the hills south of Bethlehem, is now the subject of intense scrutiny following a report from the US-based advocacy group Ekō. The report, titled “Booking.com: experience Israel’s illegal occupation”, highlights how digital travel platforms are facilitating tourism in areas widely considered to be occupied territory.

For Sbeih, the listing is a painful reminder of a long history of displacement. He recalls his childhood on that small farm, where his family grew wheat and barley for three generations. “It was a hard plot to farm as it was on a hillside with terraces, but it was so beautiful,” Sbeih remembers.

His family lost their 12 acres of farmland in 1982 after a court decision that cited national security as the justification for seizure. Despite the family providing title deeds and expert testimony, the land was taken and eventually absorbed into the growing Neve Daniel settlement. Sbeih notes that for two decades after the seizure, the hillside remained empty while his family was repeatedly turned away by the military.

The situation surrounding these listings is complex and carries significant legal weight

The Ekō report identifies 41 Booking.com listings across 14 illegal Israeli settlements, spanning from the Jordan Valley to the ring of settlements surrounding East Jerusalem. These settlements are often categorized as a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute, which defines the transfer of a civilian population into occupied territory as a war crime. Furthermore, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion in July 2024, confirming the illegality of these settlements and stating that organizations have an obligation not to recognize their legality.

The legal pressure is mounting in the Netherlands, where the main operating arm of Booking.com is headquartered. A criminal complaint filed by the European Legal Support Center is currently under review by Dutch prosecutors. This complaint suggests that the commercial activity connected to these settlements could potentially constitute money laundering under Dutch law.

While Israel is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, it maintains that the rules do not apply to the West Bank because the territory was not part of a sovereign state prior to the 1967 war. Israel has also historically challenged the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in these matters.

Booking.com has attempted to address these concerns with a labeling system introduced in 2022. This label advises guests to consult government travel information because the area may be considered conflict-affected. It is important to note that this warning appears only when searching for the specific settlement name rather than on the individual property pages.

A spokesperson for the company stated, “Our mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world and as such we believe it’s not our place to decide where someone can or cannot travel.” The spokesperson added that the company continues to monitor the situation and applies its human rights statement to disputed or conflict-affected areas.

The company’s human rights policy states that where it determines a direct link to negative human rights impacts, it will take appropriate action. However, critics like those at Ekō argue that the company is profiting from the displacement of Palestinians. The report claims that every day the platform fails to act, it continues to benefit from the seizure of land. Airbnb also faces similar criticism, with a 2025 investigation finding 760 rooms listed across both platforms in settlements. Although Airbnb previously attempted to halt these listings in 2018, it reversed the decision following legal challenges.

For Sbeih, the reality of the situation is deeply personal. He used to take his family to a vantage point to look at their land, but those visits are now impossible due to movement restrictions that have been in place since October 2023. When researchers showed him the Booking.com listing last month, it was an emotional moment.

“I thought it should be my children and grandchildren in that beautiful spot. It was meant to be theirs,” Sbeih said. He acknowledges the scale of the company, but he remains firm on the principle of the matter. As he put it, “I know that this is a big company and, most probably, they have a lot of investments around the world, and this is a small thing. But when you steal $10, it’s like stealing a million dollars, and you have to be judged in the same way.”