Seized, settled, let How Airbnb and Booking.com cash in on land stolen from Palestinians

The villa is stunning. The private swimming pool; the lush, landscaped terrace with firepit; the long dining table with its expansive balcony view; the table tennis area; the piano.

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But the jewel in the crown, according to the Airbnb listing, is the experience of watching the sun rise over the nearby mountains from the luxury of the generous master bedroom.

The villa with views of the Judean mountains is in a settlement called Tekoa located on land seized from Palestinians and considered illegal under international humanitarian law.

Only a handful of Palestinians are allowed to enter this, and other, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, usually as labourers with special permits.

Exclusive analysis by the Guardian found 760 rooms being advertised in hotels, apartments and other holiday rentals in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, on two of the world's most popular tourism websites.

Taken together, the listings that appear on Airbnb or Booking.com could host more than 2,000 people as of August 2024. The villa was one of them.

"Tekoa is a quiet, respectful and diverse, residential community," reads the listing. There is no mention of the recent confrontations just outside the town, involving guns, clubs, knives and dogs, which have forced neighbouring Palestinians off their land. In a four-mile radius around Tekoa at least 100 Palestinians have been forced out since 2023. The rate of violence and land grabs in the area has escalated dramatically since the start of the war in Gaza.

Palestinians are forbidden from entering the settlement without a permit, except in rare circumstances.

Despite the violence, Tekoa – an area known for its natural beauty, organic farms, the nearby Israeli-administered Nahal Tekoa nature reserve and Herodion national park – was the settlement in the West Bank with the highest number of Airbnbs outside East Jerusalem, at 17 listed holiday rentals.