UK Joins EU-Led Gaza Recovery Initiative, Pledges £10 Million
The United Kingdom will provide £10 million to support early recovery in Gaza and join a new European Union-led international initiative, the government announced on Monday.
The funding is allocated to the UN’s Horizon Fund to support a Palestinian-led, UN-coordinated approach to early recovery. The programme will focus on water and sanitation, healthcare, education, housing, debris clearance, and reducing the risk posed by unexploded ordnance.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that the recovery plan risks “completely failing” unless Israel lifts restrictions on humanitarian aid and essential services and greater international support is mobilised. Despite an increase in aid entering Gaza since the ceasefire, the government noted that supplies remain far below what is needed. Food shortages persist, around 1.7 million people are living in overcrowded displacement sites, and no fully functioning hospital remains in the territory.
“Palestinians in Gaza need to be able to rebuild their lives and their communities. But the scale of destruction is overwhelming, and the pace of support, despite all the promises made in the peace plan, is still far too slow,” Cooper said. “The scale of Israel’s continued restrictions on humanitarian aid and basic shelter and healthcare support is deeply damaging and immoral.”
Cooper is also scheduled to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa to discuss support for Palestinian institutions, early recovery in Gaza, and ongoing international coordination. The UK said it will continue to support Palestinian-led reconstruction and a two-state solution alongside efforts to strengthen Palestinian institutions and advance the peace plan.
On Thursday, incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham apologised for Labour’s initial response to Israel’s war on Gaza, pledging a firmer approach towards the Israeli government when he takes office. “I know many people feel that at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza, my party did not get it right, and I regret that. The response was too often not good enough. We need to do better,” he told The Guardian.
Since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025, Israeli forces have killed at least 1,098 Palestinians and wounded 3,535 others, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The military offensive since October 2023 has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 173,000, causing widespread destruction affecting approximately 90 percent of civilian infrastructure.