SAFA — Six British charities have raised funds for projects linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and appear to have transferred more than £1.7 million over three years, according to an investigation by Declassified UK.

The investigation, conducted by journalist Melissa Muller, found that two of the charities explicitly identify specific Israeli settlements as beneficiaries in their official filings, while four others include settlement names in their registered titles.

The findings come despite the British government's longstanding position that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory violate international law.

Declassified UK reported that several contact numbers and email addresses listed for the charities were disconnected or no longer in service. None of the six organizations responded to repeated requests for comment.

The outlet said the total amount of money transferred to settlement-linked projects could be higher than the sum it was able to document.

Millions Raised for Organizations in Israeli Settlements

The largest charity identified in the investigation, British Friends of Ezrat Yisrael Kiryat Sefer, supports activities in Modiin Illit, the most populous Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.

The organization reported more than £21 million in income between 2021 and 2025, including £4.2 million in 2025.

According to its filings, the charity donated £3.3 million to Oneg Shabbos, an Israeli food distributor that says it assists settler families.

It also transferred £349,000 in 2025 to two organizations in Kiryat Sefer and £1.5 million between 2022 and 2024 to an entity listed as Tora Vachesed.

Declassified UK said it could not identify a registered organization under that name in either Israel or Britain.

Another charity connected to Modiin Illit, Friends of Kupat Hakahal Kirhat Sefer, raised more than £1.65 million over the period examined.

Its filings recorded grants of £375,000, £42,000, and £1 million to three organizations described as providing poverty relief. The recipients had addresses and board members based in the settlement.

One of those organizations also lists financial assistance to Israeli soldiers among its activities.

The Gainsborough Trust, which identifies residents of Modiin Illit as its beneficiaries, reported more than £448,000 in income.

Its public filings broadly describe spending on support for impoverished families, higher education, and marriage assistance but do not identify individual grant recipients.

Matan Beseiser Kiryat-Sefer Beis Aron, another charity linked to the settlement, reported £222,190 in income between 2020 and 2024.

The organization states that it operates in Kiryat Sefer, although Declassified UK said it could not identify a corresponding registered organization in Israel.

British Donations Reach Other Illegal Settlements

The investigation also identified charities supporting institutions in other Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank.

Friends of the Yeshivat Har Etzion Trust raises funds in Britain for a religious seminary in Alon Shvut, part of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc.

The charity handled more than £500,000 in donations between 2021 and 2025 without identifying specific grant recipients in its public filings.

British Friends of Ariel University supports Ariel University, located in the Israeli settlement of Ariel.

Although the charity reported comparatively modest financial activity, the university publicly thanked it for its involvement in an event hosted in July 2025 by Tzipi Hotovely, then Israel's ambassador to Britain.

British Regulator Investigates Settlement-Linked Funding

The findings follow growing scrutiny of British charities financing projects connected to illegal Israeli settlements.

In June 2026, Labour MP Melanie Ward told Parliament that 32 British charities had transferred approximately £28 million to settlement-related projects.

The Charity Commission subsequently opened a statutory inquiry into eight charities but declined to identify them publicly.

It remains unclear whether any of those organizations are among the six named in the Declassified UK investigation.

Stephen Roake, the commission's assistant director of high-risk compliance, said the regulator's first priority was to establish the facts. No public findings of wrongdoing against the charities identified in the investigation have been announced.

The British government maintains that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank violate international law.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice concluded in an advisory opinion that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and that states must not provide aid or assistance in maintaining that situation.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband subsequently reaffirmed the government's position on the illegality of the occupation and said he would examine concerns about whether Britain's Gift Aid tax relief scheme could indirectly support settlement-linked organizations.

Palestinian Rights Group Files Complaint

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has submitted a complaint concerning one of the charities to both the Charity Commission and London's Metropolitan Police.

The organization said it is also examining the other charities identified in the investigation.

Shaima Dallali of the ICJP criticized the response of British authorities, accusing the government and regulators of being “far too slow to confront the systematic issue.”

She called for “a shift from reactive regulation to preventative scrutiny” of charities with apparent connections to Israeli settlements.

The Metropolitan Police told Declassified UK that it had received 248 Gaza-related referrals since October 2023 but had no ongoing UK-based criminal investigations specifically concerning the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The investigation identifies financial relationships between British-registered charities and organizations operating in illegal Israeli settlements, while the Charity Commission's inquiries and the ICJP's complaint remain unresolved.

It also documents the use of Britain's charitable fundraising system to support institutions in settlements that the British government recognizes as unlawful under international law.

Source : Safa News