A newly surfaced document from the U.K. government has sparked renewed concerns about British-funded humanitarian aid in Gaza. It suggests that officials were aware of the potential risk that the funds might indirectly aid Hamas, the group governing the Gaza Strip.
While U.K. officials strongly deny the claim, critics say key questions remain unanswered.
The document, dated November 2022 and acquired by NGO Monitor, details the U.K.’s humanitarian strategy in the Palestinian territories. It discusses a UNICEF-managed cash assistance initiative in Gaza, coordinated with the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD).
According to the NGO Monitor report, “The MoSD in Gaza is linked to the de facto authorities, and thus U.K. Aid may be associated directly or indirectly with supporting these authorities.”
“Even after Oct. 7 and all we’ve been seeing … they still refuse to deal with this question of diversion,” Herzberg claimed. “There’s no transparency, no oversight, and the U.N. is actively trying to thwart Israeli, U.S. and other allied efforts in trying to improve the humanitarian aid situation.”
She was referring to the recent U.S.-backed initiative to establish a new aid distribution system in Gaza that started operating Monday.
The NGO Monitor report further details how the MoSD is run by senior Hamas officials, including Ghazi Hamad, who publicly praised the Oct. 7 massacre and was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in November 2024. Another top MoSD figure, Mohammed Al-Araeer, has repeatedly glorified terrorist attacks on social media and praised Hamas commanders.
Hamas terrorists take up positions ahead of a hostage release in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP)
A recent investigation by Israel’s website, “Shomrim,” and Israel’s Channel 12 revealed that Hamas has built an extensive fundraising network inside the U.K. Senior Hamas operatives with British citizenship have established charitable foundations that raise millions of pounds annually, some of which ends up in the hands of the group’s military wing.
Udi Levi, formerly head of the Counter-Terror Financing Division in the Mossad, told Israel’s Channel 12, “Britain is becoming the central country transferring funds to Hamas, including after Oct. 7.”
The watchdog also raised broader concerns about the role of other U.N. agencies in Gaza, noting at least 12 are active in the Strip. Herzberg said it remains unclear whether similar diversion risks exist across those agencies.
“We all know how UNRWA has been taken over by Hamas, but what about the others? Is the same thing happening there? These are the types of questions no one is willing to answer,” she said.
Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of heightened diplomatic tensions. Last month, the U.K. suspended trade negotiations with Israel, citing humanitarian concerns. Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticized the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and called for restored aid and electricity.
NGO Monitor says the debate highlights the urgent need for a new international mechanism to oversee aid delivery in Gaza, one that bypasses Hamas-controlled institutions and ensures civilian aid is protected from exploitation.
“The issue isn’t just legal compliance — it’s moral responsibility,” Herzberg said. “Western donors should be taking every precaution possible. So far, that hasn’t been the case.”
