HUMAN RIGHTS group Amnesty International has called on the British government to take action against three British companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.

The call came on the second day of a court case against four campaigners who blockaded the Derbyshire site of one of the firms complicit in the illegal clearances of Palestinians – JCB, which supplies Israel with bulldozers used to demolish communities.

The four are members of the Stop the Demolitions campaign, and their court case is expected to conclude today.

Police used anti-trade-union legislation to charge them with “obstructing lawful business” after they blocked the road to JCB’s World Logistics Centre in Stoke in March last year.

The firm at the centre of the case, JCB, is one of three British companies accused of “profiting from crimes” through their involvement in Israeli settlements.

The other two are online travel agency Opodo, and metal-coating company Greenkote.

Their names are also on a list of 112 companies published by the United Nations as being involved in illegal settlements.

Amnesty wants the British government to prohibit the involvement of the companies in illegal Israeli settlement and has written to Middle East minister James Cleverly asking him to intervene.

Amnesty International UK’s director, Kate Allen, who visited the West Bank earlier this month, said: “After being named and shamed by the UN, it’s finally time for JCB, Opodo and Greenkote to stop profiting from crimes against the Palestinian people.

“When I was in the occupied West Bank earlier this month, I saw for myself the devastation wrought on Palestinian lives by Israel’s illegal settlements.

“Put simply, Israel’s settlements are an illegal land-grab on a vast scale. Half-a-million settlers now squat on Palestinian land, diverting resources away from Palestinian villages amid a fortress-like security apparatus.

“UK companies must divest themselves of any business dealings with Israel’s illegal settlements — their shareholders will demand nothing less, and nor will their customers.”

In addition to the three UK firms, the UN database names several digital tourism companies engaged in the Israeli settlements — including Airbnb, TripAdvisor, Expedia and Booking.com.