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British regulators have launched a formal investigation into eight unnamed charities over allegations that they channeled millions of pounds in donations to illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, the Charity Commission for England and Wales announced Wednesday.
The inquiry will seek to determine how much charitable money was sent to illegal settlements, whether that spending aligned with the charities' stated purposes, and whether regulatory action is warranted.
The investigation follows a formal complaint filed in June by Labour MP Melanie Ward, who alleged that 32 charities registered in England and Wales had collectively donated at least £28 million ($37.3 million) to Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law.
Ward's complaint built on reporting by The Guardian, which previously revealed that two UK charities had transferred approximately £5.7 million ($7.6 million) to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school in Susya, an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.
The Guardian reported that the current investigation is understood to be a direct response to Ward's complaint.
Stephen Roake, the commission's assistant director of high-risk compliance, said the regulator's immediate priority is to gather facts before drawing conclusions.
"Serious allegations have been made about UK charities operating in illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine, so our first step is to establish the facts," he said, adding that findings would also be used to develop sector-wide regulatory guidance "to help ensure public trust and confidence in charities."
The commission said the eight charities under scrutiny are among those recently flagged to the regulator, and that the inquiry will examine the location of their overseas partners and when the alleged activities took place.
The regulator added it will consider naming the charities when it publishes its findings, and that it plans to expand the probe to include additional organizations over time.
The commission said it has shared the scope of the inquiry with both police and HM Revenue and Customs.
London's Metropolitan Police war crimes unit confirmed it is not currently investigating any charities in connection with donations to illegal settlements.
The investigation comes after then-Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper urged the commission in June to act, telling Parliament that "charity systems are abused to funnel support to illegal settlements" and that "some evidence suggests that rules are being broken."
Cooper also raised concern about UK gift aid tax relief, a government scheme that allows charities to reclaim tax on donations, being directed toward illegal settlements.
Ward, responding to Cooper in Parliament, indicated that she and 140 Labour colleagues were pushing for an outright ban on such donations rather than an inquiry, and noted that the commission appeared to have been aware of the donations since at least July of the previous year but had taken no action until now.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are widely condemned under international law.
UN Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted in 2016, declares Israeli settlements in territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, to have no legal validity and to constitute a flagrant violation of international law.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion declaring Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
According to Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now, there are currently 141 illegal settlements and 360 outposts in the West Bank, alongside 15 settlements in East Jerusalem.
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