London, 6th August 2026 – The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) welcomes the announcement by the Charity Commission that it has opened a formal inquiry into charities in England and Wales working in or funding illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. The regulator has confirmed that the inquiry will initially examine eight charities, with the scope to widen its investigation as further evidence is assessed. 

The announcement marks the most significant regulatory step taken to date in relation to concerns that UK charitable funds have been used to support Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise. 

Over the past two years, ICJP has referred 7 UK-registered charities to the Charity Commission, involving extensive legal and factual investigations into charitable activities connected with Israeli settlements and other unlawful conduct. This work has included tracing the flow of charitable funds, analysing charity law and trustees’ legal duties, examining financial records and governance arrangements, and submitting detailed evidence to the Charity Commission. 

The Charity Commission’s investigation follows reporting that revealed two UK charities had transferred approximately £5.7m to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school in the Susya settlement in the occupied West Bank. In June, Labour minister Melanie Ward issued a formal complaint to the regulator identifying 32 charities in England and Wales that had collectively donated at least £28m to organisations operating in or supporting illegal Israeli settlements. 

ICJP’s own regulatory work has identified wider concerns regarding the use of UK charitable structures.  

In March 2025, ICJP submitted a formal complaint concerning the Jewish National Fund (JNF), setting out evidence that the charity has funded projects with direct links to the Israeli militaryand activities, raising serious questions under UK charity law.  

In May 2024, ICJP’s complaint regarding UK Toremet, a UK-registered charity, revealed that UK Toremet had processed donations for Israeli organisations involved in obstructing humanitarian aid entering Gaza. This prompted the Charity Commission to issue UK Toremet with a regulatory ‘action plan’.  

Complaints have also been issued by ICJP in relation to Achisomoch Aid Company (AAC), Mizrachi UK, and Edgeware United Synagogue. The complaint against Edgware United Synagogue followed its decision to host the ‘Great Israeli Real Estate’ event despite prior legal warnings and evidence that settlement properties were being marketed at the event. The complaint raised concerns regarding trustee duties, governance failures, and the use of charitable premises to facilitate activities connected with settlements.  

Last month, the Guardian also revealed that ‘Friends of Yeshivat Shavei Hevron’, a UK charity, had transferred almost £200,000 to a religious school at the centre of plans to expand illegal Israeli settlements in Hebron between 2019 and 2024. 

The UK Government has consistently maintained that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) are unlawful under international law. That position was reinforced by the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 Advisory Opinion, which confirmed that states must not recognise as lawful, or assist in maintaining, Israel’s unlawful presence in the oPt, including Israel’s rapidly expanding illegal settlement enterprise. 

The Charity Commission’s inquiry into donations to illegal Israeli settlements is a welcome step. Trustees of registered charities are under a legal duty to ensure that charitable funds are used lawfully and exclusively in furtherance of their charitable purposes. Compliance with these obligations is essential to maintaining public trust and confidence in the charity sector. 

Órlaith Roe, ICJP’s Public Affairs and Communications Officer, said: 

“The Charity Commission’s decision to open this inquiry is a welcome and long-overdue step. For years, ICJP and others have submitted detailed evidence showing how UK-registered charities have channelled millions of pounds into organisations connected with illegal Israeli settlements. Despite repeated complaints and mounting evidence, meaningful regulatory intervention has too often been absent. 

Today’s announcement signals that these concerns are finally being treated with the seriousness they deserve. The inquiry must be thorough, independent and robust. Where charities have breached their legal duties or failed to conduct proper due diligence, the Charity Commission should not hesitate to use the full range of its regulatory powers.  

Public confidence in the charity sector depends upon ensuring that charitable status cannot be used to facilitate activities connected with violations of international law.” 

ENDS 

Notes for Editors: 

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.   

For more information, to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected]. 

Image: Oren Rozen via Wikimedia Commons