Campaigners want a council in Gwent to support calls to pull funding from companies that have been linked to Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Greater Gwent Pension Fund managed over £4.5 billion on behalf of council workers in the region and has come under signifiant pressure to align its investment strategies with the views of its members.

Caerphilly County Borough, Newport City and Monmouthshire Councils have already passed motions and started reviews calling for divestment from such companies, but Torfaen, the Gwent Pension Fund’d lead authority, is yet to consider the matter.

"Public sector workers deserve pensions built on ethics, not arms deals and human suffering," a campaign spokesperson stated.

"Our communities stand for peace and human rights, and our pension fund must reflect those values. Continued investment in companies enabling atrocities in Gaza is contrary to humanitarian principles and public trust".

The campaign also argues that investments in such companies risk complicity in breaking international law and that the Fund has an obligation to ensure pensioners’ money is not used to support human rights abuses.

Specific company holdings, which have supplied weapons and technology to the IDF, include BAE Systems, Airbus, General Dynamics, Elbit and Lockheed Martin.

Companies such as Motorola and AirbnB also operate in what the campaign calls “occupied territories.”

In 2025, the Fund had said its exposure to such companies totalled 0.08 per cent, or £3.8 million of total fund assets attributed to Israel. However, campaigners in June said they believed the Fund held a more substantial £233 million in companies concerned with the military occupation of Palestinian land.

Critics have argued that this issue does not affect local people as much as others, such as education and public services.

The Fund has also made previous divestments from some companies due to ethical reasons, such as those with links to Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.