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Explosive revelations from newly declassified Hamas documents suggest that the United Kingdom secretly maintained cooperation with Hamas in Gaza, despite its official designation of the group as a terrorist organization in November 2021. NGO Monitor, which obtained the documents, highlighted the findings in a post on X (formerly Twitter), quoting:

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“British Consulate Rep in Gaza to Hamas: Terror designation will not stop UK-funded projects. A @daily_express exclusive report: Declassified docs from NGO Monitor reveal reassured Hamas, contradicting its claimed ‘no contact’ policy and showing ongoing cooperation.”

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According to the leaked records, British consulate representatives in Gaza and UK-funded NGOs held meetings with Hamas-led ministries and security organs even after the ban was enforced. The documents reveal a pattern of reassurances from UK officials that aid projects would continue “regardless of the terror designation,” raising serious questions about the credibility of Britain’s counterterrorism commitments.

Hamas Documents Confirm British Consulate Meeting

One of the most striking findings comes from a February 2022 internal memo prepared by the Interior Security Mechanism (ISM), an organ under Hamas’ Ministry of Interior and National Security. The document records a meeting between Hamas security officials and a representative of the British Consulate in Gaza.

The memo states that following the UK’s ban, the consulate briefly shut its offices “to keep up appearances,” but quickly resumed back-channel engagement. According to the document, the British official assured Hamas:

The official reportedly added that the designation “was taken by the Ministry of Interior [British Home Office] and not by the British Foreign Ministry [FCDO],” implying that the Foreign Office would continue relations with Hamas-led entities in Gaza.

The document further claims that the consulate representative informed Hamas officials “of his cooperation with the relevant [Hamas-led] government and security parties.”

UK-Funded NGOs Reassure Hamas

Another ISM memo, dated January 10, 2022, highlights a meeting between Hamas’ Interior Security Mechanism and representatives of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) along with a former employee of Islamic Relief. The discussion centered on whether the UK terror designation would affect NGO operations and funding in Gaza.

According to Hamas’ records, the NRC suggested it would “refuse conditional funding if those conditions were to be forced by the British Foreign Ministry.” The memo concludes that the UK Foreign Ministry (FCDO) does not demand accountability from NGOs it funds, noting:

“Until now, the UK Foreign Ministry has not requested from NGOs which it funds, any information about recipients of projects, or suppliers or the local employees in foreign associations.”

The ISM further observed that the UK’s decision would not affect NGO employees, even if they were affiliated with a proscribed terrorist organization such as Hamas, since “they are non-governmental organizations.”

The document ended with a telling note of confidence: “In the long run, it will end [meaning funding will shortly be resumed].”

A Contradiction of Public Policy

The revelations come on the heels of a May 2025 NGO Monitor report that already questioned UK government denials of cooperation with Hamas-linked institutions. That report exposed a UK aid program, run in partnership with UNICEF, which allegedly worked with Hamas-controlled bodies in Gaza.

Despite repeated assurances that the UK has a strict non-contact policy with Hamas, these newly declassified Hamas documents show otherwise. Not only did officials meet directly with Hamas ministries after the 2021 designation, but NGOs funded by London also appeared to assure Hamas that funding channels would remain open.

Growing Questions Over UK Accountability

The evidence raises difficult questions for the British government regarding transparency, counterterrorism, and the integrity of its foreign policy. If verified, the revelations could suggest that the UK knowingly misled the public while maintaining operational coordination with Hamas in Gaza.

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While London continues to insist it does not engage with terrorist organizations, the Hamas documents suggest a very different reality — one in which public statements of “no contact” coexist with private reassurances that “business as usual” would continue.