The Government of United Kingdom announced £8.5 million in additional humanitarian funding for Gaza as current aid reaches over 750,000 Palestinians, while urging Israel to reverse plans to expand military operations that could worsen the crisis, according to the UK government. The funding will go through the UN’s OCHA Occupied Palestinian Territories Humanitarian Fund to deliver food, water, and fuel to Gaza’s most desperate areas. Britain is now the largest donor to the UN humanitarian pool fund in 2025, demonstrating its commitment to alleviating suffering in Gaza.
Gaza faces a deepening humanitarian catastrophe as military operations continue and aid deliveries remain severely restricted. The UN warns their work is being systematically obstructed despite efforts to coordinate desperately needed assistance. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians lack basic necessities while aid trucks wait at borders, unable to reach those who need help most.
The announcement follows Israel’s security cabinet approving plans to escalate the Gaza offensive, which UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned would do nothing to end the conflict. UK aid delivered through OCHA has provided critical healthcare, food, and cash assistance to over 750,000 Palestinians during the conflict, with healthcare programs benefiting nearly 1 million people. But Minister for International Development Jenny Chapman stressed that much more aid is waiting at borders while “desperate civilians try to access tiny amounts of aid.”
“It is unacceptable that so much aid is waiting at the border,” Chapman said, demanding that Israel “allows more aid in safely and securely.” She emphasized that today’s funding “will help address that urgent need, but only if Israel allows Gaza to be flooded with aid.” The UK continues pushing for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, and surge in humanitarian assistance.
See also: UK Government radically downsizes its 2025-2026 aid budget
This latest funding is part of the UK’s £101 million budget for the Occupied Palestinian Territories this financial year, with £60 million dedicated to lifesaving humanitarian support and the remainder supporting Palestinian economic development and governance reform.
