New Investigation Reveals Global Oil Supply Chain to Israel
A startling investigation has uncovered how twenty-five states funnelled oil to Israel throughout its military campaign in Gaza. You might be surprised to learn which countries participated in this network. Oil Change International published a comprehensive report tracking these shipments, revealing a complex web of energy supplies that continued despite mounting international pressure. The findings show how Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and even Brazil played significant roles in keeping Israel’s fuel supplies flowing.
Between November 2023 and October 2025, researchers documented 323 separate shipments. That’s nearly 21.2 million tonnes of crude oil and refined petroleum products delivered to Israeli ports. These numbers paint a clear picture of sustained international support through energy exports.
The Scale of Oil Deliveries
The data breaks down into two main categories. First, there were 171 shipments carrying 17.9 million tonnes of crude oil. Then you’ve got 152 shipments of refined petroleum products totaling 3.3 million tonnes. These weren’t small deliveries either – we’re talking about massive tankers crossing international waters regularly.
What’s particularly interesting is where all this oil came from. The investigation traced supply routes across multiple continents, showing just how interconnected global energy markets really are.
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan Lead Crude Oil Exports
Here’s where it gets really specific. A whopping 70 percent of crude oil reaching Israel originated from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. That’s more than two-thirds of all crude shipments tracked during this period.
The Pipeline Connection Through Turkey
Azerbaijan’s crude oil doesn’t travel directly to Israel. Instead, it flows through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, terminating in Turkey’s port city of Ceyhan. The report lists Turkey as the country of origin because that’s where ships load up. However, all this crude carries the “Azeri BTC” label, making its true source unmistakable.
This creates an interesting situation. Turkey becomes a transit point, though the oil itself comes from Azerbaijan’s fields. It’s a technical distinction that matters when you’re tracking international trade flows.
Kazakhstan’s Route Through Russia
Kazakhstan uses a similar setup. Their crude travels through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium to Russia’s Black Sea coast near Novorossiysk. Because of this route, shipping records list Russia as the origin point. You can see how these pipeline networks complicate efforts to trace energy sources.
Both arrangements show how modern oil infrastructure creates layers between producers and final destinations. This complexity makes accountability more challenging.
Brazil’s Shifting Export Patterns Raise Questions
Brazilian crude oil shipments tell a fascinating story. The investigation tracked four deliveries from Brazil to Israel during the monitoring period. However, something changed dramatically in 2025.
Trade Unionists Reveal Possible Workaround
Brazil’s National Federation of Oil Workers noticed something suspicious. Direct shipments to Israel suddenly stopped, but Brazilian crude started flowing to Italian refineries instead. The timing wasn’t coincidental. Deliveries to the Sarroch refinery in Sardinia surged precisely when Israeli shipments dropped.
Here’s the kicker: refined products exported from that same Sardinian refinery to Israel increased dramatically. You don’t need to be a detective to connect these dots. The trade unionists believe Brazil simply redirected its oil through Italian middlemen.
This pattern suggests some countries developed creative solutions when direct exports became politically problematic. By routing crude through third-party refineries, they maintained the supply chain while adding layers of separation.
Russia Dominates Refined Petroleum Product Shipments
When it comes to refined petroleum products – think gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel – Russia took the lead. Nearly half of all refined product shipments came from Russian facilities. That’s 45 percent of the 152 tracked deliveries carrying processed fuels ready for immediate use.
American Military Fuel Contributions
The United States also appears in the data with specific shipments. American suppliers sent nine deliveries of JP-8, which is specialized jet fuel designed for military aircraft. You’ll find this fuel powering fighter jets and military helicopters. Additionally, two diesel shipments left Valero’s Bill Greehey Refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, bound for Israeli ports.
These American shipments totaled 360,000 tonnes of fuel. The military-grade nature of JP-8 makes these deliveries particularly significant when examining international support structures.
African Continent Contributions
The report also documented shipments originating from African countries. While specific nations weren’t detailed in the available data, the inclusion of African sources shows how geographically diverse Israel’s oil supply network became. This global reach demonstrates coordination across multiple continents and political systems.
Legal Experts Question Compliance with International Law
Dr. Irene Pietropaoli published a legal analysis examining what these fuel exports mean under international law. Her opinion focuses on the obligations countries face under the Genocide Convention. The International Court of Justice issued an interim order that creates specific responsibilities for member states.
Risk of Complicity According to Legal Analysis
Pietropaoli’s assessment raises serious concerns. She argues that military assistance or other support to Israel’s Gaza operations might constitute complicity in genocide. That’s a heavy legal charge with significant implications. Countries providing fuel need to consider whether their exports violate their obligations to prevent and punish genocide.
The legal opinion specifically questions whether these continued fuel exports conflict with the ICJ’s interim order. International law requires states to actively prevent genocide, not just avoid committing it themselves. This distinction matters because it extends responsibility beyond direct actors.
UN Commission Calls for Cessation
The UN’s Independent International Commission weighed in during September 2025. They called on member states to stop transferring arms, equipment, and importantly, jet fuel to Israel. The commission also warned against sending these items to third-party states when there’s reason to suspect their eventual military use.
This recommendation acknowledges the routing patterns identified in the investigation. It addresses both direct shipments and the indirect supply chains running through intermediate countries. The commission recognized that fuel enables military operations just as surely as weapons do.
How Stop Fuelling Genocide Campaigners Responded
Activists with the Stop Fuelling Genocide campaign brought these issues directly to international climate talks. They protested at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 14th. The choice of location wasn’t random – Azerbaijan emerged as the primary crude oil supplier in the investigation.
These campaigners argue that you can’t separate climate action from energy export policies. They’re pushing for countries to acknowledge how fuel shipments enable military campaigns. Their activism connects environmental conferences with human rights concerns, expanding the conversation beyond carbon emissions alone.
The investigation provides campaigners with concrete data they can use in advocacy efforts. Instead of making general claims, they can now point to specific shipment numbers, countries involved, and volumes delivered. This documentation transforms activist arguments from opinion into evidence-based criticism backed by detailed tracking records spanning nearly two years of continuous monitoring.
