Contrary to Trolls, U.K. Will Not Deliver £40 Billion for Gaza Rebuilding

Reports of renewed discussions on Gaza’s reconstruction surfaced following the Gaza ceasefire announcement. The news coincided with plans for a recovery summit in the United Kingdom. Social media trolls spread claims alleging that the U.K. pledged £40 billion to finance Gaza’s rebuilding plan.

Netizens Claim U.K. to Fund £40 Billion for Gaza’s Recovery

Political leaders gathered in Egypt on Monday for a ceremony to sign the Gaza ceasefire agreement, led by U.S. President Donald Trump and mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. Following Israel’s announcement last week declaring an end to the war, reports surfaced about reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip, with the United Kingdom pledging to host a summit to discuss Gaza’s recovery plan.

However, many social media users, including some in the U.K., seized on the announcement to claim that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government allocated £40 billion to fund Gaza’s reconstruction.

A local media outlet published a report titled “UK to help bankroll £40bn Gaza rebuilding plan – but won't seek to help govern.”

An X user shared a photo of Starmer, writing, “The UK government is set to hand over up to £40 billion in aid as a starter to help rebuild Gaza yet we are £2.9 trillion in debt.”

The claim quickly spread online, amplified by commentators and widely circulated across social media platforms, reaching millions of users.

U.K. Did Not Pledge £40 billion for Gaza’s Reconstruction

Misbar’s team investigated the viral claim and found it to be baseless.

The U.K. government released a report on October 12 announcing a £20 million humanitarian aid package to provide essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services to tens of thousands of civilians across Gaza.

Neither the government’s report nor any credible media outlet mentioned a £40 billion fund for Gaza’s reconstruction. 

According to Reuters, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that Britain would deliver the £20 million ($27 million) aid package through UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and the Norwegian Refugee Council to assist people suffering from famine, malnutrition, and disease.

The outlet also reported that the U.K. had already provided £74 million in humanitarian support to Palestine during the current financial year, following its formal recognition of the Palestinian state last month.

However, social media users appear to have been misled by an earlier World Bank Group report published on February 18, 2025, which estimated the cost of reconstructing the Gaza Strip at approximately $53 billion, roughly equivalent to £40 billion.

The report referenced the Gaza & West Bank Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA), released after the January 2025 ceasefire. Two months later, Israel violated the truce and launched a renewed and devastating military campaign in Gaza.

Given the subsequent escalation and extensive destruction, experts now expect the cost of Gaza’s reconstruction to rise significantly.

U.K. to Host International Summit on Gaza Reconstruction

The U.K. PM Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom will host an international summit focused on Gaza’s recovery.

The Guardian reported that the U.K. will host a three-day conference beginning Monday afternoon, organised by the Foreign Office’s Wilton Park agency in West Sussex. The summit will bring together representatives from the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Germany, Italy, as well as institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank, alongside private sector and development financiers.

According to Downing Street, discussions will include efforts to bolster the Palestinian Authority’s transformation and reform programme to ensure its capacity to lead Gaza’s recovery.

In a statement, Starmer said, “We stand determined to seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace, and a stable, secure future for the whole region.”

On Tuesday, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) official said there are promising early signs from several countries, including the United States and Arab and European states, expressing willingness to contribute to the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild Gaza.

“We’ve had very good indications already,” UNDP representative Jaco Cilliers told reporters during a press conference in Geneva, without disclosing further details.

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