Charity Commission launches probe into British charity working with Hamas

The Charity Commission has opened a review into a UK registered charity that says it has worked with a Hamas-run government ministry to distribute cash in Gaza, the JC can reveal.

London-based Save One Life UK – whose head of communications and trustee also works at UCL in diversity and inclusion – is being investigated by the commission over the charity's cash distribution programme in Gaza.

Information on the Save One Life UK website states that the charity is “working with the Ministry of Social Development in Gaza” to deliver cash to “those most in need”.

The Ministry of Social Development in Gaza is controlled by Hamas, a UK-proscribed terror group.

“Beneficiaries are pre-vetted and approved for assistance by the Ministry, and the financial assistance is directly distributed, accounted for and audited and is distributed strictly in line with the principles of zakat,” the Save One Life website says about its cash donation programme.

Save One Life UK was established in 2011 and has raised millions from its base in Newham, east London. It denies working with any terrorist organisations.

Save One Life UK sends cash into the territory via organisations approved by the Hamas-controlled ministry (Photo: Instagram)[Missing Credit]

The charity’s communications manager and trustee, Addeel Khan – who also works at University College London (UCL) – did not respond to questions about Save One Life's connections with the Hamas-controlled ministry.

Khan is the director of equity, inclusion and culture at UCL and oversees the team responsible for addressing antisemitism at the university. According to his LinkedIn, he was previously the head of EDI at the British Red Cross, led international communications at the UK Home Office, and has been a board member at Save One Life since 2019.

In a live-streamed video to raise funds for Save One Life, Khan was interviewed about the cash distribution programme and said the charity works with the Hamas-run ministry to vet beneficiaries.

Addeel Khan said Save One Life UK works with the Hamas-run ministry to distribute cash in Gaza (Photo: Facebook screenshot from Save One Life livestream fundraising campaign, 2021)[Missing Credit]

During the seven-hour-long video posted on Facebook in April 2021, Khan said: “We work with the Ministry of Social Development in Gaza, and they have a list of people who are eligible... they make sure they’re vetted and the money is checked, ID is provided, to make sure the right people are receiving it – and there is clear transparency in terms of where the money goes.”

Khan said there is a “list there” which has been approved by the Hamas-controlled ministry for the distribution of cash and assured viewers “there is checks and balances there" [sic].

The communications and diversity expert went on to describe how the charity conceals the identity of the beneficiaries from their social media to protect their dignity. Photos of those receiving the aid never, for example, show their faces.

In March this year, the Telegraph reported fears that some of the money the charity distributes in the strip may be diverted to Hamas itself.

In videos that remain on the charity’s Instagram account, envelopes can be seen being distributed in the north of Gaza, a stronghold of the terror group.

The charity indicates it has worked with the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Development to decide how this cash is distributed. 

The ministry was formerly headed by Hamas leader Ramzi Hamad, who, according to JNS, left Gaza weeks before October 7 2023 and said the massacre was justified.

On the morning of October 7 2023, Save One Life began a fundraising campaign called "Gaza Under Attack”, before Israel had launched any significant military response to the Hamas attacks.

In one image posted on Instagram shortly after 10am on the day of the massacre, Save One Life stated: “Our brothers and sisters in Palestine are under attack again.” Hamas terrorists were still raging through southern Israel at the time.

Save One Life posted on Instagram on October 7 that Palestine was "under attack"[Missing Credit]

On the anniversary of the massacre, the charity posted: “12 months of brutal violence. Decades of resilient resistance. Palestine stands strong despite the devastation, but they need our support more than ever. Stand with our Ummah [Islamic nation] in Palestine.”

In response to the JC’s enquiry, a spokesperson for Save One Life commented: “We remain committed to our mission and operate in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. For the avoidance of doubt, we do not work with any terrorist organisation.”
A Charity Commission spokesperson stated: “We are aware of serious allegations made about Save One Life, which the charity also promptly reported to us. As a result, we have opened a regulatory compliance case to allow us to gather more information. As part of this, we have engaged with the charity’s trustees and are currently assessing both the charity’s activities and the trustees’ oversight, particularly in relation to the application of its funds overseas.”

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “We treat all reports made into the Anti-Terrorist Hotline and online portal as confidential. Because of this, and for operational security reasons, we therefore do not comment on or confirm specific details or matters that may get reported to us through this route.

“However, all reports get reviewed by officers and if it is assessed that further police action is required, then it will get passed to the relevant police force, or counter terrorism unit to carry this out.’

The JC approached Addeel Khan and UCL for comment.