The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into the Al-Khair Foundation after receiving a complaint from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) alleging links between the international aid charity and Hamas.

The Commission announced on 7 August 2026 that it had escalated its examination of the charity to a formal statutory inquiry and had imposed restrictions on certain financial transactions because of what it described as a possible “serious risk to charitable funds”.

The Charity Commission said that last month it had received a complaint alleging that Al-Khair Foundation and its partners had connections to Hamas, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK, and that the charity had funded the organisation. The regulator said it “immediately started examining the serious concerns raised” before deciding to open the statutory inquiry.

UKLFI had submitted its report concerning Al-Khair Foundation on 9 July 2026, calling for the organisation to be investigated. The report contained evidence of Al Khair’s “operational involvement” with Hamas, including alleged financing, propaganda and support for Hamas-related activities.

The Commission has not made any findings that the allegations are established.

Charity’s Gaza connections under scrutiny

A significant part of UKLFI’s report concerned individuals associated with Al-Khair Foundation’s overseas operations. For example:

• Adham Abu Salmiya was identified as Director of Marketing and Arab Relations for Al-Khair Foundation’s Türkiye branch. The report cited historical material describing Abu Salmiya as a “Hamas emergency services spokesman” and detailed his previous work for institutions operating under the Hamas authorities in Gaza.
• Husam Mansour was a former Al-Khair Foundation director. Following his death in July 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified him as a platoon commander in Hamas’s Internal Security Forces and an operative in its military wing.
• In March 2025, an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza killed nine people. The IDF identified six of them as Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives, including one alleged participant in the 7 October attacks. Al-Khair Foundation said that eight of those killed were its workers but denied that they were terrorists or connected to Hamas.

On 31 July 2026, three weeks after UKLFI’s report had been submitted,  the US Department of Justice announced that Mohammad Yousef Hasna, an individual employed by an organisation that the Al-Khair Foundation works with to deliver aid in Gaza, was arrested in the UK and charged by US authorities for conspiring to provide material support to Hamas.

On 5 August, the regulator issued an order under section 76(3)(f) of the Charities Act 2011 restricting transactions by the charity to Mohammad Yousef Hasna, his organisation, or Gaza, unless the Commission gives prior permission.

The Commission said its investigation would seek to verify his connection with Al-Khair Foundation as well as examining the wider allegations concerning the charity.

The Charity Commission said that Al-Khair Foundation recorded income of more than £74 million in the financial year ending 31 July 2025. Its income had risen considerable since 2023, when it was around £31 million.

Trustees and overseas funding to be examined

The statutory inquiry will investigate whether Al-Khair Foundation’s trustees have complied with their legal duties in administering and managing the charity.

In particular, the Commission says it will examine the charity’s relationship with Mr Hasna; the adequacy of due diligence on international partners; whether trustees properly monitor how money is ultimately used overseas; whether sufficient procedures are in place to prevent misuse of charitable funds; and whether any weaknesses amount to misconduct or mismanagement by the trustees.

The Commission stressed that it does not itself investigate criminal offences, but said that evidence of criminal activity identified during the inquiry would be referred to the police.

A UKLFI spokesperson said:

“We welcome the Charity Commission’s prompt response to the concerns raised about Al-Khair Foundation. UK charities handling tens of millions of pounds of donations, particularly where funds are transferred into areas controlled by terrorist organisations, must be subject to the highest standards of due diligence and financial oversight.

“Our investigation uncovered deeply concerning evidence about individuals and organisations connected with Al-Khair Foundation and its overseas operations. It is now important that the Charity Commission establishes the full facts, including where charitable funds have ultimately gone and whether the trustees took adequate steps to prevent funds or resources reaching Hamas or organisations associated with it.”