How Fossil Fuel Companies Profit from Genocide 

For Immediate Release
November 14, 2023

Baku, AZ — Speaking at COP29 today, experts on the intersection of fossil fuels and justice in Palestine highlighted how multiple systems of oppression converge to perpetuate violence against communities in Palestine. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is at catastrophic levels: at least 41,870 Palestinians killed, 69% of which are women and children. Millions face displacement, severe deprivation of basic needs, and destruction of critical infrastructure. Experts exposed how major fossil fuel companies enable and profit from Israel’s genocide in Gaza, fueling colonialism, and continuing a long history of the industry’s complicity in mass atrocities worldwide. 

Access to the webcast will be available here.

The fossil fuel industry is culpable indeath and destruction around the world, not only through the climate crisis they cause but through the violence they fuel.

Investor owned and private oil companies supply 66% of oil to Israel- more than a third (35%) of that from major oil companies like Chevron, Shell, and BP-  despite genocide warnings from the International Court of Justice. BP is among the top corporate suppliers of oil to Israel. It operates and is the largest owner of the BTC pipeline, which transports Azeri oil that is ultimately sent to Israel. An investigation by Energy Embargo for Palestine indicates how some of this oil is refined into jet fuel that supplies the IDF. BP has also been granted gas exploration licenses in occupied Palestinian waters. By providing it with fuel, BP enables the Israeli government to commit genocide in Gaza. Chevron operates and partially owns the two largest Israeli-claimed fossil gas fields, Tamar and Leviathan, making it the main international actor extracting fossil gas claimed by Israel in the Mediterranean. In 2022, 70% of Israel’s power was generated from fossil gas extracted by Chevron. Through the millions of dollars it pays Israel for its gas extraction licenses, Chevron is also directly contributing to financing Israel’s regime of genocide, apartheid, settler colonialism, and occupation.

Countries, as well as oil and gas companies, must be held to account for their role in perpetuating violence and human rights abuses. Behind the Barrel: New Insights into the Countries and Companies Behind Israel’s Fuel Supply reveals continued and expanded oil supply fueling Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. This expansion has continued despite the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) opinion from January, stating Israel is plausibly committing genocide and Palestinians in Gaza have plausible rights under the Genocide Convention and from July, stating the occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful. As pressure intensifies on global leaders to end the genocide, these countries, including the United States, Azerbaijan, Italy, Albania, Greece, Brazil, Gabon, Nigeria, and Congo-Brazzaville continue to enable the violence. In contrast, Colombia has set a strong precedent and issued an embargo on coal exports to Israel until the ICJ ruling is upheld. Colombian coal makes up over 50% of Israel’s coal imports. Others must follow suit.

Mohammed Usrof, member of the Palestinian Youth Climate Negotiation Team, who lost 21 family members in March, said:
“The complicity of international corporations and governments in fueling Israel’s war machine represents the latest chapter in a long history of fossil fuel companies enabling genocide and mass atrocities. Every shipment of oil to Israel carries the weight of Palestinian lives.”

Sadie DeCoste, Organiser at Tipping Point UK, said:
“BP originated as a key enabler of the British empire, and continues as one of the top 10 largest carbon emitters in the world. It operates and is the largest owner of the BTC pipeline, which ships Azeri oil to fuel Israel’s genocide in Gaza. BP’s historic colonial harms continue through its support of violent regimes. Its emissions are estimated to cause hundreds of billions of dollars of loss and damage. We must shut down BP to end this injustice, and demand climate reparations for impacted communities around the world.”

Abeer Butmeh, Coordinator of Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network – Friends of the Earth Palestine (PENGON FoE Palestine), said:
“Rich countries are claiming climate justice leadership while spending trillions on war and bombs. People in Gaza are facing one of the largest cases of genocide in the recent history. What we need is a total global energy embargo against Israel. Rich countries must fund climate justice, not genocide.”

Mahmoud Nawajaa, General Coordinator of the BDS movement, said:
“Criminal fossil fuel companies that have shamefully been invited to join COP 29 are not only responsible for destroying the planet––they are also responsible for fueling genocide and other atrocity crimes around the world, from Gaza to Myanmar to the Amazon region. Prime among these is Chevron––right now, as Israel continues its livestreamed genocide of 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, Chevron continues to supply Israel and its military with energy and millions of dollars in tax revenues through fossil fuel extraction activities in the Mediterranean.

“Chevron’s support for Israel’s genocide is just the latest chapter in a long history of contributing to horrific violence against indigenous communities globally. The BDS movement is calling on climate activists and people of conscience around the world to maximize the cost for Big Oil’s belligerence by joining our global BDS campaign to boycott Chevron gas stations, fossil gas, and all other products immediately.”

Allie Rosenbluth, Oil Change International US Campaign Manager, said:
“The fossil fuel industry is not just destroying our climate – it’s actively profiting from genocide. These companies and the governments enabling them know exactly how their supplies are being used against Palestinian civilians, yet they continue shipping oil even after the International Court of Justice’s genocide ruling. Palestinian groups and their allies around the world have called for an energy and arms embargo demanding governments and companies cease all fuel and arms shipments to Israel until it ends the genocide and its regime of apartheid against the Palestinian people. Despite these strong demands, the U.S continues to be a key supplier of JP8 Jet Fuel to Israel, which is crucial for its military operations. This isn’t just business – it’s complicity in mass atrocities.”