United Kingdom
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| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
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Activity
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- The British government funds numerous highly politicized non-governmental organizations (NGOs) directly through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO),1 UK Integrated Security Fund (formerly the Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund – CSSF), and the British National Security Council (NSC), and indirectly via aid frameworks such as the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Christian Aid, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), and Oxfam GB, which all receive significant funding from the British government.
- The UK government has allocated £129 million in aid to the West Bank and Gaza Strip for 2024/25. Of this amount, approximately 37% is allocated to “Government and Civil Society.”
- FCDO has stated that its development funding is geared towards the objective of supporting “the building of Palestinian institutions and the promotion of economic growth so that any future state will be stable, prosperous, well run and an effective partner for peace with Israel.” 2
- In contrast, many FCDO-funded NGOs are involved in anti-peace activities such as incitement, BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions), and legal attacks (“lawfare”) against Israel. Some of these groups also have reported ties to terrorist organizations.
- Reflecting a lack of transparency, a comprehensive list of local third-party implementing partners is not available.
- Based on FCDO statements made during the course of FOI proceedings with NGO Monitor, it does not appear that the UK government vets third-party implementing partners. For instance, an FCDO official claimed, “The FCDO conducts its own due diligence process for its main project partners, and then relies on those partners to do their own due diligence for any subcontractors based on global criteria. In this particular case, FCDO did a due diligence exercise itself for NRC. FCDO did not directly vet NRC’s sub-partners, but instead provided them with criteria for assessing those sub-partners.” (Paragraph 49, 26 March 2024 First-tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber Information Rights decision, on file with NGO Monitor).
Lack of Vetting
- Based on FCDO statements made during the course of FOI proceedings with NGO Monitor, the UK does not sufficiently vet local implementing partners. This is especially concerning given the significant number of terror-linked NGOs operating in the region, including in partnership with the UN.
- During NGO Monitor’s 1 February 2024 appeal hearing against the FCDO before the First-tier Tribunal Regulatory Chamber Information Rights, an FCDO official testified under oath that “The FCDO conducts its own due diligence process for its main project partners, and then relies on those partners to do their own due diligence for any subcontractors based on global criteria. In this particular case, FCDO did a due diligence exercise itself for NRC [Norwegian Refugee Council]. FCDO did not directly vet NRC’s sub-partners, but instead provided them with criteria for assessing those sub-partners” (26 March 2024 First-tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber Information Rights decision, paragraph 49; on file with NGO Monitor).
Developments Since October 7 Hamas Massacre
- In October 2023, in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, the UK announced “£10 million humanitarian aid for civilians in Occupied Palestinian Territories,” and stating that “All UK aid funding to the OPTs undergoes rigorous oversight, and no funding goes to Hamas.” This claim is inconsistent with information provided to NGO Monitor in the course of our FOI proceedings with the FCDO.
- In October 2023-April 2024, the United Kingdom granted $53.53 million to UN-OCHA’s “OPT Flash Appeal” that “addressed the most urgent needs of 1,260,000 people in the Gaza Strip (Gaza) and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”
- In January 2024, the UK announced it would pause funding to UNRWA following reports of UNRWA’s employees involvement in Hamas’ October 7 massacre. The UK later clarified that it had already made all of its planned contributions to UNRWA for 2023-2024, £35 million. (See UNRWA section below for more information.)
- In July 2024, the UK restored funding to UNRWA claiming, “UNRWA has taken serious action in response to the appalling allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel. The government is confident that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality and is strengthening its procedures. £1 million of the £21 million of new UK funding will be earmarked to support UNRWA implement the management reforms.”
- In January 2025, the UK announced a new £17 million package “to support thousands of civilians across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” This includes £15 million from the “Crisis Reserve pool to be allocated to partner agencies,” £2 million for the World Bank for “water and energy infrastructure construction and restoration across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
UK Funding via the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
- British government documents suggest that officials from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office are aware of the risk that funding projects in the Palestinian territories may involve organizations tied to designated terrorist groups. British officials have primarily framed this as a reputational issue rather than a serious national security or legal concern.
- A November 2022 document reveals a key weakness in the UK’s humanitarian aid process, admitting the government’s “inability to identify downstream partners” – the organizations ultimately implementing the UK-funded aid projects.
- Rather than prioritizing efforts to combat terrorism financing and aid diversion, the risk is defined as a reputational one that can be managed: “Once UK funds are transferred to the ‘pooled’ HF [Humanitarian Fund], it would be difficult to attribute direct UK contribution to funded projects.”
- The document also highlights the UK’s passive approach towards groups linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist group, with the UK relying on partners’ internal vetting processes and downplaying the potential consequences of aid diversion.
- After the Hamas-orchestrated October 7th massacre, the UK government continues to provide approximately £100 million in funding to UN and NGO activities in the West Bank and Gaza, with inadequate oversight and transparency.
FCDO Funding to UNICEF and the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD)
- A British Consulate-General in Jerusalem (BCGJ) document dated November 2022, outlines a plan for “UK Humanitarian Support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (FY 2022-2026).” One element is funding for UNICEF-administered cash assistance in Gaza.
- Among the projects outlined is a UNICEF-administered “multi-purpose cash” distribution in Gaza. The document explains that “The cash assistance component will be implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Social Development MoSD.” As highlighted by the document, “The MoSD in Gaza is affiliated with the de facto authorities and thus UK Aid can be linked directly or indirectly with supporting the de factor [sic] authority (Hamas) in Gaza which is part of a proscribed group” (emphasis added).
- Hamas has exercised effective control over the MoSD in Gaza for years. In April 2019, Hamas appointed a politburo member, Ghazi Hamad, to lead the Ministry. In November 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Hamad, labeling him a “senior Hamas official[].” The announcement added, “Hamad previously served as a Hamas senior official overseeing border crossings at Gaza. While these border crossings were one of the primary ways Hamas smuggled weapons into Gaza, these crossings were also used to smuggle the construction equipment and materials Hamas needed to build an extensive tunnel network they intentionally interspersed among Palestinian civilians.”
- An April 2024 FCDO document outlines continued UK support for UNICEF-administered cash assistance in Gaza: “We will continue to support UNICEF’s work in Gaza which is focused on the delivery of child-sensitive social protection and cash assistance.”
- In response to the allegations, FCDO claimed it “has never funded Hamas or affiliated Ministries” and “The UNICEF program is coordinated with the Ministry of Social Development in Ramallah, which is run by the Palestinian Authority.”
- The MOSD of Ramallah and the MOSD of Gaza actively work together. According to a 2022 Oxfam International analysis of cash-assistance programs in Gaza, “a key strategic priority in Gaza is the interface between humanitarian agencies and the MoSD in Ramallah [,] and the local authorities in Gaza [Hamas], with workarounds needed for the no-contact policy” (emphasis added).” Oxfam explained that “there was a recent positive agreement to have the MoSD in Ramallah represented in Gaza by official personnel to improve the coordination and collaboration between the de-facto government in Gaza and the official Ramallah government,” admitting that “even though there are PA personnel in the MoSD in Gaza, most of the staff are from the de-facto government” (i.e. Hamas). In other words, there are representatives at the MoSD-Gaza who are portrayed as being from the MoSD-Ramallah, while Hamas retains overall control of the Gaza branch and its activities.
- For more information, read NGO Monitor’s report “Hamas Influences UK Funded Gaza Cash Programme.”
FCDO Projects in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank:
- According to the DevTracker, FCDO is funding ten active projects in the West Bank and Gaza, with a total budget of £1.8 billion. (More details on these projects are available on the “dportal database.”3
- Selective information on projects funded by the FCDO is available in a projects database. In several cases, local NGO recipients and third-party recipients of UK funds via international organizations do not appear on the website.
- In 2023-2031, the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) is receiving $2.6 million from FCDO for a “Good Governance and Human Rights Project.” According to the project description, “The project monitors the development of human rights and governance, encourage accountability of authorities, carry out advocacy for human rights and provide capacity support to relevant actors including government departments and commissions, security apparatuses, academic institutions and civil society.”
- While purporting to be an National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) that monitors PA compliance with human rights standards, the ICHR also serves as a vehicle to produce and promote PLO political propaganda.
- ICHR regularly collaborates with and has demonstrated its support for EU, US, Canada and Israel-designated terror groups, such as Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
- In 2023-2031, the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability – Aman in receiving $1.4 million for “Palestinian Civil Society and Inclusion.” According to the project description, “The overall objective of the project responds well to the declining context of PA’ legitimacy, lack of citizen’ trust, and weak state’ accountability platforms to hold the executive to account.”
- Aman accuses Israel of “stealing,” having “racist goals,” “Judaisation,” and “repeated attempts to ignite a sectarian religious conflict with the aim of controlling the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its precincts.”
- In 2023-2031, AMAN and ICHR are also implementing partners on a £36 million project for “Empowering Palestinian Institutions and Civil Society in the Occupied Palestinian Territories – EPICS OPTs.”
- See Appendix below for further information on FCDO Projects in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
UK Integrated Security Fund (formerly the Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund – CSSF)
- The UK also funds NGOs through the UK Integrated Security Fund, a “government-wide fund that addresses the highest-priority threats to UK national security, at home and abroad.”4 The fund “invested over £830 million in financial year 2022 to 2023 through integrated programmes across 12 government departments and agencies.”
- In 2022-2023, CSSF provided £6.9 million to the “Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
- According to a 2023 UK Parliament report, “In financial year 2022–2023, the Fund continued to prioritise spending on areas linked to conflict, stability and security overseas that pose the greatest direct threat to the UK including the Middle East and Africa…The Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories programme was largely protected from previous reductions in overall allocations, given the fragility of the situation and the importance of this region to the UK’s security.”
- According to the CSSF Programme Summary of its “Middle East Peace Process programme (MEPP),” in 2021-2022, CSSF led 11 projects in the West Bank and Gaza.
- All projects have FCDO listed as the lead department.
- The implementing organizations are not listed. CSSF claims, “Information on all implementing organisations is withheld on international relations grounds.”
- According to a February 2024 Parliamentary question, “The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) OPTs-Israel Programme also supports Tech 2 Peace, I’lam – Arab Centre for Media Freedom, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, and Project Rozana which work to support engagement and dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, building stronger constituencies and prospects for peace. We also support local organisations such as COMET-ME who work to keep Palestinians on their land in Area C of the West Bank, protecting the viability of a two-state solution.”
- Additionally, according to a March 2024, Parliamentary question, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been receiving from the CSSF.
- See Appendix below for further information on CSSF projects in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
- The UK has been one of the primary funders of Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) operations in the West Bank and Gaza.
- NRC receives funding from the Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund (CSSF), but this funding is not transparent. NGO Monitor has been able to confirm that these funds are received by NRC via this mechanism based on information received from the UK government in the course of Freedom of Information proceedings with FCDO. Additionally, a March 2024 Parliamentary question acknowledged that “The UK currently provides funding to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) for projects in the Occupied Palestinian Territories including in the West Bank and East Jerusalem through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF).”
- According to the Parliamentary question, NRC has been receiving from the CSSF:
- FY 22-23 – £3.07 million
- FY 23-24 – £ 3.68 million
- FY 24-25 – £ 2.7 million
- Additionally, in response to the Parliamentary question, a government official claimed, “We are not currently supporting NRC work in Gaza.” However, a 2023 project on the UN Financial Tracking Service (FTS), relating to ICLA, describes NRC’s activities in the West Bank and Gaza: “NRC Palestine launched a Digital Complaints and Feedback Mechanism, informative sessions on the use and application of NRC’s CFM were conducted for all staff and targeted populations in WB and Gaza. Soft and hard copies of CFM information cards were distributed to targeted populations in WB and Gaza.” This project does not appear on the UK’s Development Tracker.
- According to FTS, five other projects for which NRC received funding from the UK in 2023 are implemented by the West Bank Consortium (run by NRC). The project descriptions on FTS includes data on the individuals the consortium serves in Gaza. Additionally, during a November 2023 UK Parliamentary hearing, an NRC advisor testified “We have.. 54 staff working in our Gaza office. We have been operating in Gaza for almost 15 years.”
- According to the Parliamentary question, NRC has been receiving from the CSSF:
- According to the UN Financial Tracking Service,5 in 2023, FCDO granted $5.4 million to NRC for multiple projects, of which $3,552,577 was earmarked for the Information, Counseling, and Legal Assistance (ICLA) project.
- No information appears on the UK Devtracker Website regarding funding to NRC, despite the substantial amounts granted to the NGO.
- ICLA, one of NRC’s principle projects in Israel, exploits judicial frameworks to manipulate Israeli policy, bypassing democratic frameworks.
- Included in ICLA’s program goals is “supporting the PA both locally and nationally on casework” and works with “other NRC core competences, West Bank Protection Consortium partners, and UN OCHA, as well as with local authorities and village councils.”
- As part of the ICLA program, NRC provides “legal assistance, including paralegal services, accompaniment, follow up or court representation in order to ensure the best possible individual legal protection outcomes” in “collaboration, coordination and partnership both internally within NRC and externally with NGO sector… and with the PA with a view to address some of the barriers to participation of the hard to reach population in ICLA response.”
- A lawyer affiliated with the NRC program stated that the objective of these cases are an attempt to “try every possible legal measure to disrupt the Israeli judicial system… as many cases as possible are registered and that as many cases as possible are appealed to increase the workload of the courts and the Supreme Court to such an extent that there will be a blockage” (emphasis added).
- According to its 2023 ICLA project response plan, “In 2023, NRC Information, Counselling and Legal aid team (ICLA) will target 17,583 Palestinians identified as affected by conflict-related violations and protection risks such as conflict-related violence, risk of forcible transfer, restrictions on freedom of movement and access to services, including livelihoods and settler violence.”
- The UK government does not vet NRC’s local implementing partners, instead relying on the NGO to do so itself. According to the testimony of an FCDO official during freedom of information proceedings brought by NGO Monitor regarding UK funding to the NRC, “the FCDO conducts its own due diligence process for its main project partners, and then relies on those partners to do their own due diligence for any subcontractors.” (On file with NGO Monitor)
- Based on research obtained via freedom of information requests, UN reports and funding databases (FTS), publications from governments in Europe, NGO activity reports and financial statements, and filings with government regulators in the UK, Israel, the EU, and elsewhere, NGO Monitor has documented that NRC works with a narrow selection of political NGOs that promote a one-sided narrative of the conflict in implementing its legal aid and “public interest litigation” related programs. NRC has partnered with UAWC, HaMoked, JLAC, Society of St. Yves, Terrestrial Jerusalem, Yesh Din, CAC, Bimkom, Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (PCDCR), Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and Al Mezan, among others.
- UAWC, PCHR, and Al Mezan are all linked to the PFLP terrorist organization.
Indirect UK Funding
Christian Aid
- In FY 2023-2024, Christian Aid received £100,000 from FCDO. Reflecting a lack of transparency, Christian Aid does not specify how much of that funding was transferred to implementing partners on projects in Israel, Gaza, or the West Bank.
- Christian Aid does not reveal all of their partners, nor funding to the organizations. Current and former partner organizations include Zochrot, Breaking the Silence, B’Tselem, Al-Haq, Sabeel, Adalah, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC), Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHR-I), Alternative Information Center (AIC), the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), Women’s Affairs Centre, and the Culture and Free Thought Association.
- In March 2024, Christian Aid’s Head of Middle East Policy & Advocacy William Bell published an article stating, “We should all be concerned when Palestinians tell us they fear that ethnic cleansing will lead to a second Nakba, especially when Israeli Government actions and words appear to confirm it…October 7 did not happen in a vacuum. It is critical to grasp that unless Palestinians are afforded the same rights as their Israeli neighbours and treated as equals, then violent conflict will only deepen.”
- In January 2024, Christian Aid published a letter in The Times affirming that, “Until the UK government calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and suspends its arms sales to Israel, it is complicit in the slaughter of innocent civilians taking place every day in Gaza.”
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)
- In 2022, CAFOD received £824,000 from FCDO. According to CAFOD, in that same period of time, CAFOD funded nine projects totaling approximately £278,000 in the West Bank and Gaza.
- CAFOD has provided grants to a number of highly biased and politicized NGOs active in the Arab-Israeli conflict, including: Breaking the Silence, Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), Culture and Free Thought Association, Wi’am, Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC), Yesh Din, and Islamic Relief Worldwide.
- In May 2024, CAFOD called for people to urge the UK government to “Call for an end to arms sales to Israel.”
- In October 2023, in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, CAFOD called for the “Acknowledgement of the failure of the international community to effectively engage with any meaningful peace process, and a commitment to work ceaselessly from now on to address the root causes of the violence which must include an end to the occupation,” as well as “Unequivocal support for the ICC to conduct a truly independent investigation into all war crimes to ensure accountability.”
Oxfam GB
- In FY 2022-2023, Oxfam GB received £231,000 from the United Kingdom. It is unclear if any of this funding has been allocated for projects in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
- Under its 2023-2024 emergency appeal for Gaza, Oxfam GB writes it has been “responding with our partners” including: the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), Juzoor, Cultural & Free Thoughts Association, and Palestine Agricultural Relief Committee (PARC).
- PMRS rhetoric includes accusations of “ethnic cleansing,” “apartheid,” “collective punishment,” and “war crimes.” Mustafa Barghouthi, founder and president of PMRS, praised the October 7th attacks and repeatedly denied the systematic rape of Israeli women during the atrocities.
- In at least 2007–2021, Juzoor maintained a Jerusalem Youth Parliament (JYP), “…designed to actively engage young Jerusalemite Palestinians ages 12 to 17 (as well as their parents and teachers) in active citizenship and to raise awareness of their Palestinian identity.” JYP hosted events with convicted terrorists, members of the US-designated terrorist organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and their families, and held pro-BDS and anti-normalization activities for children. In addition to introducing children to PFLP terrorists, JYP staff also utilized social media to celebrate PFLP terrorists and promote the organization. (For more information, read NGO Monitor’s report “USAID-funded Palestinian NGOs: Introducing Children to Convicted Terrorists.”)
- Oxfam GB draws an immoral symmetry between Israeli self-defense and illegal attacks by terror organizations, and fails to acknowledge Hamas’ exploitation of the civilian population of Gaza as human shields. Its statements refer to the blockade of Gaza as the key impediment to peace, failing to mention that the purpose of Israel’s blockade is to prevent the illegal flow of weapons to Hamas and other terror groups.
- In October 2023, Oxfam GB accused Israel of “Starvation as [a[ weapon of war being used against Gaza civilians.”
- In October 2023, in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, Oxfam GB published a statement claiming, “the international community must now finally tackle the root causes of injustice and violence that is being perpetrated under the occupation.”
Funding via the United Nations
In 2020-2024, the UK government provided millions of dollars to various UN bodies, including United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the World Food Program, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and The occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- In 2025, the UK provided UNICEF with $17.5 million for West Bank and Gaza operations. As part of this funding, the UK provided funding to UNICEF for cash assistance with the Hamas-backed Ministry of Social Development (see above for further information.)
- UNICEF spearheads a campaign to have Israel included on a UN blacklist of “grave” violators of children’s rights. The list appears as an annex to the UN Secretary-General’s annual report on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC). This political agenda is a primary facet of UNICEF’s activities relating to Israel, completely inconsistent with its mandate of “child protection” and from its guidelines for neutrality and impartiality. (Read NGO Monitor’s report “UNICEF and its NGO Working Group: Failing Children”)
UN-OCHA oPt Humanitarian Fund
- In 2025, the UK provided $16.8 million to the “occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund.”
- According to an April 2024 FCDO document, “The UK is a long-term supporter of OCHA’s country based pooled funds globally, and has been the top donor at a global level since the Funds’ inception…We have recently completed a new Due Diligence Assessment for OCHA and its pooled fund in the OPTs which confirms that OCHA meets our standards around managing risks of aid diversion.”
- Many of the NGOs for which OCHA-oPt fundraises are active in anti-Israel demonization and BDS, indicating that funds support anti-Israel NGO agendas instead of humanitarian goals. A number of the NGOs are affiliated with the PFLP terror group, including Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC), and Health Work Committees (HWC).
World Food Programme
- In 2024, the UK provided $10.9 million to the WFP. According to UN-OCHA’s FTS, these projects are part of the WFP’s Food Security Sector programs in the West Bank and Gaza.
- According to documents published by the Food Security Sector, the Sector distributes funds and partners with UAWC, Ma’an Development Center, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) and Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC).
World Health Organization (WHO)
- In 2024, the UK provided the WHO with $1.9 million.
- According to the UN-FTS, this project is part of the Health Security Cluster, which partners with PFLP-linked NGOs, including Abdel Shafi Community Health Association (ACHA) and Al Awda Health and Community Association.
UNRWA
- In 2024, the UK provided UNRWA with $23.6 million.
- On December 11, 2024, the UK Prime Minister met UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini and committed to provide an additional £13 million to UNRWA to “support vital services for Palestinian refugees in the OPTs and the region.”
- Hamas’ and other terror groups’ exploitation of UNRWA and its facilities is well documented. Additionally, there is blatant evidence of UNRWA employees’ involvement in Hamas terrorism, including direct participation in the brutal October 7 slaughter.
- According to an April 2024 FCDO document, “UNRWA has measures in place to minimise risks of any funding or assistance to terrorism, in line with UN Security Council Resolutions…It is strongly considered across its risk management exercises. Disciplinary measures are taken if there is evidence of the involvement of personnel in inappropriate activities that breach policy. Staff are vetted against the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee list of terrorists and terrorist entities.”
Appendix 1: FCDO Projects in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank
FCDO Projects in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank According to DevTracker
| Project | Budget | Beneficiaries | Project Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empowering Palestinian Institutions and Civil Society in the Occupied Palestinian Territories - EPICS OPTs | £36,311,308 (2023-2031) | The Coalition for the Integrity and Accountability- Aman ¦ Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR)¦ United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | “It will provide technical assistance to PA institutions across governance sectors, with a particular focus on financial viability and provision of essential services, in order to protect the fiscal viability and legitimacy of the PA in a declining context. EPICS will protect and support Palestinian civic space by supporting CSOs to hold the PA and other local duty bearers to account for governance and service delivery.” |
| Support to the Palestinian Authority to Deliver Basic Services, Build Stability and Promote Reform in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (SSRP) | £137,999,995 (2017-2025) | Georg Eckert Institute ¦ Tetra Tech International Development Limited ¦ Ministry of Finance and Planning - Palestinian Authority ¦ Crown Agents Limited ¦ Oxford Policy Management ¦ Coffey International Development ¦ International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD | “This will help to build and strengthen the capacity of PA institutions through public financial management reform, and build stability in the region by preserving the two state solution.” |
| Supporting Economic Empowerment and Development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (SEED OPTs) | £90,856,740 (2018-2028) | Cowater International Inc United ¦ Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) ¦ Cowatersogema International Inc ¦ IMC Worldwide ¦ European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ¦ International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) | “This programme will focus DFID economic development assistance to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in the areas of water, electricity, access & movement and trade, and fiscal losses and customs. Programme activities will support institutional capacity building and infrastructure development, working closely with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel. The overarching goal is to support economic growth and job creation in the OPTs.” |
| UK Support to Palestinian Refugees(UKSPR) | £131,499,993 (2022-2028) | United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) | “To provide predictable, multi-year funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in the Near East which will help the Agency deliver basic education including to girls, health services including family planning, vaccines and pre-natal and anti-natal services, relief services and humanitarian aid to more than 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.” |
| UK Humanitarian Support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories | £151,394,796 (2023-2 026) | British Red Cross ¦ World Health Organisation ¦ REDR Australia ¦ Department of Health and Social Care ¦ Jordan Hashemite Charity Org ¦ UNOPS-HQ ¦United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) ¦ UK-Med ¦ Palladium International Ltd (UK) ¦ International Committee of the Red Cross ¦ United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) ¦ United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) ¦ World Food Programme (WFP) | “The “Humanitarian Support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs)” programme aims to improve the resilience of households to mitigate the consequences of the protracted protection crisis in the OPTs; save lives during emergency spikes, for example a flare up in violence; and prevent a further deterioration in the humanitarian situation until a more durable political solution is reached.” |
| British Council: Official Development Assistance (ODA) support | £1,120,350,225(2016-2025) | British Council | “Strengthening cultural and educational development by building skills and capacity and by creating new opportunities and connections with the UK.” |
| UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Core | £56,249,997 (2023-2025) | UN Population Fund | “To support the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to advance the empowerment of women through reproductive health and rights for all, including increasing access to contraception, enabling women to have healthy pregnancies and safe births, and protecting women and girls from harm.” |
| UK Participation in Jordanian Helicopter Airbridge | £500,000 (2025) | N/A | “Providing UK funded aid to Gaza through via Jordanian helicopters as part of the "Humanitarian Airbridge" initiative.” |
| Democratic Resilience Platform | £35,728,464 (2022-2026) | UNESCO ¦ Thomson Reuters Foundation ¦ BBC Media Action ¦ Access Now ¦ Wilton Park Executive Agency ¦ International Center for Not for Profit Law (ICNL) ¦ DAI Europe ¦ University of Birmingham ¦ Open Government Partnership ¦ Supplier Name Redacted | “To provide a platform to enable programmes to be developed to improve the governance and democracy of FCDO priority countries.” |
| Public Finance Resource Centre (PFRC) | £76,840,017 (2022-2030) | Dentons UK and Middle East LLP ¦ Adam Smith International | “PFRC is intended to mobilise flexible technical assistance more quickly than is currently available, responding to clear demand for such support from partner countries.” |
FCDO Projects in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank According to DPortal
| Project | Budget | Beneficiaries | Project Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs): UN Population Fund (UNFPA) | £4,250,000 (2024-2025) | United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) | “To support the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to advance their humanitarian response in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) through sexual and reproductive health services, including distributing reproductive health kits and midwifery kits, pharmaceuticals, consumable medical devices and equipment for basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care, as well as cash transfers for vulnerable women and psychological support services.” |
| Support to improve the Palestinian trade and energy and water sectors through EBRD | £571,475 (2018-2025) | European Bank for Reconstruction and Development | “Support to improve trade and energy and water sectors in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)” |
| To facilitate the supply of additional medical supplies to Gaza, through the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation | £2,000,000 (2024-2026) | Jordan Hashemite Charity | “UK funding will support the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation to provide and deliver medical health supplies into Gaza to support the health system.” |
| Core Support to work implemented by the Office of the Quartet in the Occupied Palestinian Territories | £2,000,000 (2024-2026) | UNOPS-HQ | “Support to the work of the Office of the Quartet, a United Nations special project, to provide analytical work and facilitation between the Palestinians and Israelis in the areas of water, energy, trade and movement, and clearance revenues and customs.” |
| Provision of medical supplies, rehabilitative equipment, and medications including chemotherapy for Gazans in Egypt | £1,000,000 (2024-2026) | World Health Organisation | “This project includes procurement of specialised chemotherapy, orthopaedic equipment and medical consumable supplies which will help respond directly to the targeted and significant needs of Palestinian patients. The project will also enhance the healthcare providers capacity in managing the chronic diseases and the complications from chronic illness of patients from Gaza.” |
| To support an FCDO programme funded role (On Temporary Duty) seconded into the UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza | £3,496 (2024-2026) | N/A | “The setup of the Mechanism follows a modular and phased approach. Its operationalisation allows for pipeline prioritisation, predictability, visibility and tracking of increased humanitarian assistance into Gaza. The Mechanism is facilitating the expansion of aid corridors into Gaza through Cyprus, Egypt and Jordan.” |
| To support emergency humanitarian shelter and WASH activities in Gaza through the International Organisation for Migration | £40,000 (2024-2026) | International Organization for Migration | “In response to the Gaza crisis, the UK will provide in-kind support in the form of Core Relief Items (CRIs), to cover water and sanitation (WASH) needs as well as shelter needs as identified by the relevant United Nations Shelter and WASH Clusters.” |
| Surging short term specialist staff into UN agencies in response to the Gaza Crisis/Standby Partnership-Danish Refugee Council | £48,046 (2024-2026) | Danish Refugee Council | “The Standby Partnership (SBP) is a mechanism for surging short term specialist staff into UN agencies in response to a rapid-onset crisis or a spike in a protracted crisis. It offers a way for FCDO to bolster capacity for operational and policy priorities with low programme management requirements.” |
| To support the facilitation, deployment, and coordination of Emergency Medical Teams to and within Gaza. | £1,500,000 (2024-2026) | World Health Organisation | “FCDO will support the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Operational Response which includes the deployment of Emergency Medical Teams (EMT), working according to globally agreed EMT principles and standards, which is critical to support Gaza’s health system, to provide essential services to affected populations, manage the significant scale of trauma related to ongoing fighting, and establish/maintain functional referral pathways.” |
| Surging short term specialist staff into UN agencies in response to the Gaza Crisis through FCDO’s Standby Partnership-REDR. | £10,862 (2024-2026) | REDR Australia | “The Standby Partnership (SBP) is a mechanism for surging short term specialist staff into UN agencies in response to a rapid-onset crisis or a spike in a protracted crisis. It offers a way for FCDO to bolster capacity for operational and policy priorities with low programme management requirements.” |
| Surging short term specialist staff into UN agencies in response to the Gaza Crisis through FCDO’s Standby Partnership-CANADEM | £424,243 (2024-2026) | CANADAEM | “The Standby Partnership (SBP) is a mechanism for surging short term specialist staff into UN agencies in response to a rapid-onset crisis or a spike in a protracted crisis. It offers a way for FCDO to bolster capacity for operational and policy priorities with low programme management requirements.” |
| Multi-year funding to the Occupied Palestinian Territories' Humanitarian Fund. | £34,600,000 (2023-2026) | United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) | “To provide funding to UN/OCHA’s Humanitarian Fund (HF), a Country–Based Pooled Fund (CBPF), in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).” |
| Social Protection and cash assistance support to vulnerable households in the Occupied Palestinian Territories | £33,325,000 (2023-2026) | United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) | “To address both economic and social vulnerabilities of children and their families based on the foundation of children with protection concerns.” |
| Humanitarian Technical Assistance | £2,484,339 (2023-2026) | Palladium International Ltd (UK) | “Technical assistance will support the development and implementation of the UK's influencing strategy of humanitarian agencies, the UN architecture, other donors and Governments in line with UK’s national and development interests and policy, for example on joint needs assessments and humanitarian cash as well as influencing the coordination architecture to better link humanitarian and development coordination under the auspices of the ‘Triple Nexus’.” |
| Funding to facilitate Humanitarian access and coordination in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. | £900,000 (2023-2026) | UNOPS-HQ | “The UK will provide funding to UNOPS to support the UN Access Support Unit (ASU) in facilitating humanitarian access and movement during times of escalation. In addition to the ASU’s roles during times of conflicts/crises, the ASU is mandated, by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and OCHA, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian and development assistance and advance the protection of civilians, through a centralised, pro-active, and sustainable access strategy for the movement of humanitarian and development personnel and goods, while providing hands-on advice and support to access challenges in the field.” |
| Funding to support UNRWA Flash Appeal to facilitate initial emergency response to the escalation in Gaza | £22,000,000 (2023-2026) | United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) | “The UK will provide funding to UNRWA to respond to the immediate food, non-food, health, shelter and protection needs of up to 250,000 persons seeking safety in UNRWA shelters in Gaza and another 250,000 Palestine refugees within the community.” |
| Health support to the Gaza crisis | £21,750,000 (2023-2026) | UK-Med | “To respond to the high level of health needs in Gaza in line with World Health Organization request for international Emergency Medical Teams assistance. The expected role of Emergency Medical Teams in Gaza is to support the currently operational facilities with critically required infrastructure, supplies and personnel.” |
| Food assistance in response to the Gaza Crisis | £14,250,000 (2023-2026) | World Food Programme (WFP) | “To provide food to the entire population of 2.2 million people in Gaza during the ongoing crisis with over 90 percent of it estimated to face high levels of acute food insecurity. The project provides food assistance, primarily through in-kind food parcels to households in Gaza, and Nutrient Supplement targeting children aged 6-23 months and pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls in UN-designated shelters and, if possible, elsewhere.” |
| Core support to the work of the Office of the Quartet in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) | £1,167,000 (2021-2026) | United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) | “This activity Core support to the work of the Office of the Quartet in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) is a component of Supporting Economic Empowerment and Development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (SEED OPTs) reported by FCDO with a funding type of 109 - Multilateral organisation and a budget of £1,167,000. It works in the following sector(s): Trade facilitation, Energy policy and administrative management, Telecommunications.” |
| Support to the Palestinian water and energy sectors through the World Bank trust fund | £16,820,000 (2018-2028) | International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) | “Support to the water and energy sectors WSDP and ASPIRE through the World Bank's Palestinian Partnership for Infrastructure Trust Fund (PID-MDTF) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).” |
| Support to the Palestinian water and energy sectors - International Climate Finance ICF | £21,180,000 (2018-2028) | International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) | “Support to the water and energy sectors WSDP and ASPIRE through the World Bank's Palestinian Partnership for Infrastructure Trust Fund (PID-MDTF) -International Climate Finance ICF.” |
| Support to improve trade and customs in the Occupied Palestinian Terriorites (OPTs) through service provider | £25,664,722 (2018-2028) | Cowatersogema International Inc | “The Trade Development and Facilitation Programme aims to improve trade performance and customs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, through working politically and technically to: - expedite movement of goods and reduce transaction cost - improve capacity of Palestinian trade related institutions and the trade enabling environment - strengthen the competitiveness of the private sector to export and create jobs - improved Palestinian Authority's customs capacity and revenue collection from trade related taxes.” |
| Support the most critical humanitarian needs of refugees and non-refugees in Gaza, and vulnerable refugees in the West Bank | £7,000,000 (2024-2028) | United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) | “To provide unearmarked funding to the OPTs Emergency Appeal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to address the most critical humanitarian needs of 1.7 million of the most vulnerable refugees and non-refugees in Gaza, as well as over 200,000 individuals in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This project supports the humanitarian response to the ongoing and unprecedented escalation of conflict and resulting needs in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.” |
| Provision of basic education, health, relief and protection services to Palestinian refugees across the Near East | £60,000,000 (2020-2028) | United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) | “Fund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to provide basic services including health, education, relief and protection to more than 5.9 Palestinian refugees in the OPTs, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan through UNRWA's Programme Budget portal.” |
| Public Finance Resource Centre Buy-in Occupied Palestinian Territories | £15,000,000 (2024-2030) | Adam Smith International | “Delivery of Technical Assistance intervention through the Public Finance Resource Centre and funded by British Consulate General Jerusalem.” |
| Transparency, Evidence and Accountability Project | £3,194,587 (2023-2031) | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | “The Transparency, Evidence and Accountability (TEA) Project will provide technical assistance to strengthen systems, processes and capacities for transparency, accountability and inclusion. TEA will work with Palestinian Authority institutions to help them to be more transparent and more accountable to the Palestinian population and to better embed inclusion; thus, improve legitimacy of the PA and foster state-society relation. The project will be delivered through a Contribution Arrangement with UNDP.” |
| Palestinian Civil Society and Inclusion Project | £1,100,000 (2023-2031) | THE COALITION FOR INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY- AMAN | “The Palestinian Civil Society and Inclusion (PCSI-I) project will work to strengthening the role of Palestinian civil society organisations to oversee governance and service delivery by the Palestinian Authority and other local duty bearers and hold them to account…The overall objective of the project responds well to the declining context of PA’ legitimacy, lack of citizen’ trust, and weak state’ accountability platforms to hold the executive to account.” |
| Good Governance and Human Rights Project (GGHR) | £1,100,000 (2023-2031) | The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) | “The project contributes towards the protection and promotion of human rights and good governance in the oPts. The project monitors the development of human rights and governance, encourage accountability of authorities, carry out advocacy for human rights and provide capacity support to relevant actors including government departments and commissions, security apparatuses, academic institutions and civil society.” |
Appendix 2: CSSF Projects in the oPt
CSSF Projects in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza 6
| Project | Implementing Partner Type | Year | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Aid and Settlement Monitoring | Commercial Partner | July 2019 - March 2022 | £2.2m | Independent NGO Monitor research has uncovered that the “Legal Aid and Settlement Monitoring” project also goes by the name “Information, Counseling, and Legal Assistance (ICLA).” ICLA is a project implemented by Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). See below for more information on NRC. Additionally, according to a March 2024 Parliamentary question, NRC has been receiving from the CSSF: FY 22-23 - £3.07 million FY 23-24 - £ 3.68 million FY 24-25 - £ 2.7 million |
| Area C Infrastructure Construction and Area C Services and Infrastructure Provision | NGO | April 2019 - March 2022 | £1m | |
| Gender Equality in OPTs | NGO | July 2019 - March 2022 | £0.8m | |
| Palestinian Elections | NGO | April 2021 - March 2022 | £0.5m | |
| Countering Discrimination in East Jerusalem | NGO | April 2021 - March 2022 | £0.4m | |
| Constituencies for Peace – Religious Community Engagement | NGO | Nov 2018 - March 2022 | £0.3m | Independent research has found that the “Constituencies for Peace – Religious Community Engagement” is implemented by Search for Common Ground. |
| Constituencies for Peace – Empowering Future Leaders | NGO | July 2019 - March 2022 | £0.08m | |
| Constituencies for Peace – Independent Review | Commercial Partner | July 2019 - March 2022 | £0.06m | |
| Support to Israeli NGOs | NGO | October 2019 - March 2022 | £0/£0 (Non-ODA pending in-year uplift) | |
| *in the previous fiscal year the project received £0.4m | ||||
| Monitoring and Evaluation | Commercial Partner | April 2020 - March 2022 | £0.05m | |
| Programme Delivery Costs | N/A | April 2021 - March 2022 | £1.1m(ODA)/ £0.01m (non-ODA) |
Appendix 3: UK Direct Funding to Israeli NGOs
Information for 2021-2025 taken from quarterly reports submitted to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits and information for 2020 taken from annual reports submitted to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits. These projects do not appear on the UK Devtracker Website, and it is unclear under which framework they are receiving these funds.
| NGO | Source | Year | Sum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comet-ME | MFA UK | 2025 | NIS 1,411,204 |
| 2024 | NIS 2,959,130 | ||
| 2023 | NIS 5,072,718 | ||
| 2022 | NIS 4,003,451 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 1,195,938 | ||
| 2020 | NIS 511,292 | ||
| Geneva Initiative | Embassy UK and MFA UK | 2023 | NIS 989,830 |
| 2022 | NIS 1,532,537 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 411,161 | ||
| 2020 | NIS 287,493 | ||
| Gisha | Embassy UK | 2020 | NIS 237,614 |
| Physicians for Human Rights - Israel | Embassy UK | 2025 | NIS 420,509 |
| 2024 | NIS 1,402,981 | ||
| 2023 | NIS 1,679,000 | ||
| 2022 | NIS 670,000 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 23,000 | ||
| Public Committee Against Torture in Israel | United Kingdom | 2024 | NIS 154,400 |
| 2023 | NIS 17,792 | ||
| Terrestrial Jerusalem | MFA UK | 2023 | NIS 46,985 |
| 2022 | NIS 126,054 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 175,703 | ||
| 2020 | NIS 63,903 |
Appendix 4: Indirect UK Funding to NGOs Active in the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Amounts listed in NIS are taken from the 2021-2025 quarterly reports submitted to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits and information for 2020 taken from annual reports submitted to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits. Information in Euro are taken from the UK’s development tracker.
| NGO | Source | Year | Sum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) | Christian Aid | 2021 | NIS 64,907 |
| 2020 | NIS 152,898 | ||
| NRC | 2023 | NIS 18,519 | |
| 2022 | NIS 225,019 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 207,409 | ||
| Adalah | Christian Aid | 2023 | NIS 346,345 |
| 2022 | NIS 409,200 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 428,911 | ||
| 2020 | NIS 196,338 | ||
| Al Marsad | British Shalom Salaam Trust | 2024 | NIS 30,000 |
| 2023 | NIS 70,789 | ||
| 2022 | NIS 52,058 | ||
| Baladna | Galilee Foundation | 2024 | NIS 249,491 |
| 2023 | NIS 236,054 | ||
| 2022 | NIS 246,272 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 274,404 | ||
| Bimkom | NRC | 2025 | NIS 7,380 |
| 2024 | NIS 877,673 | ||
| 2023 | NIS 853,365 | ||
| 2022 | NIS 851,072 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 225,232 | ||
| Breaking the Silence | CAFOD | 2025 | NIS 134,088 |
| 2024 | NIS 140,100 | ||
| 2023 | NIS 181,300 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 173,738 | ||
| 2020 | NIS 89,710 | ||
| B'Tselem | Christian Aid | 2023 | NIS 312,732 |
| 2020 | NIS 409,249 | ||
| Culture and Free Thought Association | CAFOD | 2023-2025 | £50,000 |
| 2025 | £78,500 | ||
| 2023-2024 | £50,000 | ||
| 2023-2024 | £30,000 | ||
| 2020-2022 | £150,000 | ||
| EAPPI | CAFOD | 2024-2026 | £35,575 |
| 2021-2023 | £70,000 | ||
| Gisha | NRC | 2021 | NIS 58,555 |
| 2020 | NIS 60,172 | ||
| HaMoked | NRC | 2025 | NIS 238,602 |
| 2024 | NIS 2,131,115 | ||
| 2023 | NIS 1,121,213 | ||
| 2022 | NIS 1,365,140 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 1,174,010 | ||
| Ir Amim | NRC | 2025 | NIS 62,197 |
| 2024 | NIS 417,832 | ||
| 2023 | NIS 110,198 | ||
| 2022 | NIS 454,246 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 173,949 | ||
| Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC) | CAFOD | 2022-2024 | £120,000 |
| 2023-2024 | £30,000 | ||
| 2019-2021 | £90,000 | ||
| Wi'am | CAFOD | 2018-2020 | £50,284 |
| Yesh Din | CAFOD | 2023-2025 | £90,000 |
| NRC | 2024 | NIS 908,711 | |
| 2023 | NIS 687,397 | ||
| 2022 | NIS 1,032,768 | ||
| 2021 | NIS 656,060 | ||
| 2020 | NIS 920,504 |
Footnotes
- In September 2020, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) merged to form the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
- Response of the FCDO to Freedom of Information proceedings with NGO Monitor. Documents on file with NGO Monitor.
- Dportal is a database that explores data related to development activities and budgets published to the IATI (International Aid Transparency Initiative) platform.
- On April 1, 2024, the UK Integrated Security Fund (UKISF) replaced the CSSF, “a unique cross-government fund that tackles conflict, stability and security challenges overseas which threaten UK national security.”
- The UN Financial Tracking Service (FTS) is a “voluntary reporting mechanism,” where all “public and private organizations making contributions towards humanitarian outcomes in a given country are welcome to report to FTS”(emphases added).Therefore, the sum provided is not a full representation.
- DevTracker does not identify the NGO recipients for these projects.
All Articles about United Kingdom
Further Reading
- UK Foreign Office covers up funding to terror-linked Palestinian groups Anna Stanley, Ynet, June 30, 2024
- Revealed, how UK aids funds Terrorists: After yet more budget cuts, another £12bn of your taxes are being splurged on foreign hand-outs for militants, killers, Palestinian palaces and jobs that don't exist Mark Wood and Nick Craven, Daily Mail, March 27, 2016










