A British-funded program has come under scrutiny over claims that public money was channeled into mental health care and other assistance for Israeli military personnel who took part in the war on Gaza, an investigation published Thursday found.
The report found that the Yahalom Foundation, which supports members and former members of the Israeli military’s elite Yahalom engineering unit, directed British donors to make contributions through UK Toremet, a registered British charity.
Emails seen by Declassified said donations processed through UK Toremet would qualify for gift aid, allowing the government to add 25% to eligible contributions. The Yahalom Foundation told supporters that "100%” of their donation would be routed to the foundation.
Among the projects advertised to donors was a £5,000 ($6,741) "therapeutic healing journey” for soldiers returning from Gaza, as well as funding for individual psychological treatment. The foundation is also seeking £100,000 for a memorial hall for Israeli soldiers killed in service.
UK Toremet confirmed it awarded funds to the Yahalom Foundation for PTSD treatment for its beneficiaries. It said its monitoring showed the money had been used exclusively for the agreed charitable purpose, arguing that mental-health treatment constituted welfare and medical relief under English law.
The charity, however, rejected the Yahalom Foundation’s description of it as a "partner platform” and said it would ask the foundation to correct the wording.
The Yahalom Foundation’s website said it supports those who "have served and are currently serving” in the Israeli military. The Yahalom unit has played a role in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, including the destruction of infrastructure.
The Charity Commission previously warned that it is unlawful for a British charity to raise funds to support a soldier serving in a foreign military.
The findings come as the Charity Commission investigates eight U.K. charities for allegations concerning activities in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. UK Toremet has declined to say whether it is under investigation.
Israel is accused of carrying out acts of genocide in Gaza, where its soldiers targeted civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, churches, mosques, schools, refugee camps and more, killing over 76,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
