The Invisible Hand, the Visible Wound, and the Commercial Determinants of Health: Complicity of Commercial Entities and the Palestine Catastrophe

People often describe the ongoing catastrophic situation in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip, as a political and humanitarian crisis. However, a recent report (A/HRC/59/23) by United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese highlights the necessity of understanding the complex commercial practices of corporations that contribute-directly or indirectly-to this catastrophe. The report reveals a critical yet often overlooked aspect of public health ethics: corporate complicity in unprecedented human suffering. This article demonstrates how commercial entities contribute to public health harms, with Palestine serving as a significant and urgent case study. Using the commercial determinants of health framework, this article argues that corporate practices-such as supplying goods and services, maintaining operations or financing actors implicated in international crimes to actors implicated in international crimes through military operations in occupied territories-can constitute complicity in serious human rights violations. These actions typically occur within legal and ethical grey areas, exacerbated by gaps in global governance, opaque corporate structures, and weak accountability mechanisms. The article advocates identifying and including complicity as a fundamental practice used by commercial entities primarily for profit. It also emphasises the need to expand research, advocacy, and regulatory oversight to address the intersection of corporate power, armed conflict, and population health.