UK pledges £88 million for Palestinian health and sanitation, urges Israel to lift Gaza restrictions

The British government unveiled an £88 million humanitarian package for the Palestinian territories, targeting health-care, mental-health support and blast-injury rehabilitation for children, alongside waste-management and sanitation programmes. This contribution sits within a broader £127 million Official Development Assistance allocation for Palestine for the 2026/27 fiscal year. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband emphasized the need for unhindered aid delivery to Gaza’s civilian population and urged Israel to lift its “unacceptable restrictions”.

The announcement follows a diplomatic reset with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration after the UK banned products from illegal West Bank settlements. In retaliation, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said Israel would close the UK consulate in Jerusalem and bar eleven British MPs from entry. The aid package aims to provide essential services to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians amid ongoing tensions.