The Charity Commission for England and Wales has opened a formal investigation into charities channelling funds to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. The inquiry will initially focus on eight unnamed charities, aiming to establish the total amount of charitable funds involved, whether spending aligned with the charities' stated purposes, and what regulatory action may be warranted. The investigation follows a formal complaint by Labour MP Melanie Ward, who alleged that at least 32 charities had donated a combined £28 million to settlements deemed illegal under international law, and comes after then-Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called on the regulator to act, citing concerns that UK gift aid tax relief was being misused to support settlement activity.