Public funds to Palestine, Gaza or Hamas: FOI release

Information requested

1. How much money had been sent to Gaza;
2. How much money had been sent to Gaza for the release of hostages;
3. Who authorised such funding?

Response

The answers to your questions are:

1. On 14 October 2023, the Scottish Government announced that it would provide £500,000 towards the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) flash appeal in response to the ongoing escalation in the Gaza Strip. On 2 November 2023, a further £250,000 was pledged to the same appeal. No funding has been given to Hamas by the Scottish Government. All of the information you have requested is available from:

• Humanitarian aid funding - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• Humanitarian aid for Gaza - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

2. There has been no funding provided for the release of hostages.

3. The funding detailed in answer 1 was approved by the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.