14 different Mærsk-owned vessels have transported thousands of tons of military equipment, including components for armored vehicles and combat vehicles, to Israel on a total of 43 occasions between October 2023 and September 2024. This is shown by a compilation from the investigative media company Danwatch, which has gone through what Mærsk has transported from the USA to Israel's Ministry of Defense.
Several of the components come from the American Oshkosh Defence, whose vehicles have been seen in images from the war in Gaza.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense does not want to answer what the cargo from the 43 transports has been specifically used for.
Used in Gaza
According to Viggo Jakobsen, lecturer at the Defense University in Denmark, it is likely that the Israeli military is using the equipment in Gaza – where the UN has established that they are committing war crimes.
There are no legal obstacles to transporting weapon components to a country that commits war crimes. The country from which the weapons are transported is responsible for following any agreements, and the USA has not signed the UN Arms Trade Treaty.
Contrary to guidelines
However, several experts contacted by Danwatch believe that the transports are contrary to the UN's guidelines for human rights, which all companies are obliged to follow.
The shipping giant has not submitted a so-called human rights due diligence – a process to identify and prevent the company's impact on human rights.
It can only mean one thing, says Sune Skadegaard Thorsen, expert on responsible business, at the consulting firm Global CSR.
It means that Mærsk does not respect human rights.
Mærsk has declined to comment on the investigation.
