UK Foreign Office accused of knowing its UNICEF funding would be controlled by Hamas
Israeli media report cites an FCDO document stating that if this were to become known, 'serious damage could be done to Britain's reputation'
An Israeli media report has alleged that the British Government provided tens of millions of pounds to UNICEF in the West Bank and Gaza, in the full knowledge that Hamas would be directly involved in distribution of the latter.
Israel’s Channel 12 cited a report published by the ‘NGO Monitor’ organisation, containing what is believed to be a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) document from 2022, titled “The British Humanitarian Support Plan for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” It discusses the distribution of tens of millions of pounds of taxpayer’s money, acknowledging that in Gaza: “the financial aid component will be implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), which is part of the Gaza authorities… UNICEF plans to work closely with the ministry on cash.”
The document goes on to warn that: “therefore, British aid may be linked to support for Hamas, an organization that has been declared illegal, or other terrorist groups, which could be perceived as links between British aid and support for terrorist groups.” It then states that if this were to become known, “serious damage could be done to Britain’s reputation.”
It was already well known that UK taxpayer money distributed to UNRWA, the UN agency specifically focused on Palestinian refugees, was taken advantage of in Gaza by Hamas. Whereas in other areas, funds would be distributed in local currency, in Gaza Hamas long insisted that all UNRWA funding be dispensed in Dollars. The local currency used in Gaza is the Shekel, and therefore all dollars needed to be exchanged; Hamas controlled all the exchange stores, and would take a significant percentage off the top when the dollars were exchanged to Shekels. However, the information about UNICEF – the UN agency focused specifically on children – is new, and unlikely to dissuade Israel from its current course, as it seeks to set up food and aid distribution points in Gaza which are under control of an American-contracted company rather than any UN agency.
The Channel 12 report also accused the UK of being the leading Western country with regards to Hamas funding, alleging that a network of British-based charities has funnelled hundreds of millions of pounds to the terrorist group over the last decade – and that approximately a quarter of non-state funding for Hamas originates from Britain.
Channel 12 cited Oz Noy, former head of the Shin Bet’s Israel and Overseas Division, as stating that: “Hamas is strong in Britain because over the years they have become accustomed to the fact that there they can do almost anything they want, certainly in relation to other European countries.
“They have managed to develop very sophisticated financial institutions…These are systems that help and assist Hamas in transferring funds, laundering money – and also making money.”
It also spoke to Udi Levy, former head of the Mossad’s Counter-Terrorism Finance Division, whom it quoted as saying: “Britain is becoming the main country that transfers funds to Hamas – including after October 7th.” He described “financial companies that raise funds, which supposedly pass under the guise of humanitarian aid – and reach Hamas activities in the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria and everywhere around.”
Both former intelligence officials accused the UK of having a far more lenient system than other European countries with regards to organisations and associations with known links to Hamas, enabling them to continue operating.
The FCDO responded strongly to the accusations of prior knowledge that funding it gave UNICEF would be channelled via Hamas in Gaza, saying that it “categorically reject[ed] these allegations.
“The UK does not fund Hamas-run agencies in Gaza. The UNICEF program is coordinated with the Social Development Ministry in Ramallah, which is run by the Palestinian Authority.
“UK funding was provided through UNICEF directly to vulnerable households in Gaza. Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK, and funding or supporting it is a crime.”
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