Copenhagen (Quds News Network)- Maersk will cut ties with companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Danish shipping giant announced on Monday, following months of pressure from pro-Palestinian advocates. In a statement on Monday, Maersk said that following a review of its operations in the occupied West Bank, it had decided to follow the guidelines of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which maps out the names of companies operating in the Israeli settlements. "Following a recent review of transports related to the West Bank, we further strengthened our screening procedures in relation to Israeli settlements, including aligning our screening process with the OHCHR database of enterprises involved in activities in the settlements," the company said. The OHCHR, mandated to compile a list of businesses that both operate and sustain the settlements in the occupied West Bank, released a database in 2020 naming more than 100 companies contributing to human rights abuses of Palestinians. The list was amended in 2023. Maersk has come under scrutiny as part of an international campaign led by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), a grassroots organisation. The group has focused mainly on Maersk’s shipments of US foreign military sales, but PYM has also researched the transport of cargo from companies tied to settlements. Activists who have been championing the call for Maersk to stop working with Israel welcomed the development. However, they say the company now needs to halt the transportation of military equipment to Israel, including essential parts of its F-35 fighter planes, which have been used to flatten Gaza. Activists say that Maersk has played a fundamental role in servicing the Israeli army over the past 20 months in particular, during Israel’s genocide in Gaza. “This sends a clear message to the global shipping industry: compliance with international law and basic human rights is not optional. Doing business with Israel’s illegal settlements is no longer viable, and the world is watching to see who follows next,” said PYM’s Aisha Nizar. But she called for further action, arguing that Maersk still transports goods for the Israeli military, including components of its F-35 fighter planes. Israel has built more than 100 settlements across the occupied West Bank that are home to some 500,000 settlers. These settlements are illegal under international law.