London art auction raises over £250,000 for emergency Gaza medical aid

A charity art auction in central London has raised over £250,000 for urgent emergency medical aid and infrastructure in Gaza on Sunday.

The auction, held at the Dorchester Hotel, marked the third edition of the "Voices of Palestine" series, which featured keynote speakers and attracted collectors, human rights activists, and members of the Palestinian and Arab diaspora.

Over 30 pieces of art were sold, including contemporary paintings, photography, sculpture, and design. Works were donated by established and emerging artists, including anonymous street artist Banksy and painter Peter Doig.

A poster by Banksy titled 'Visit Historic Palestine' sold for £6,000, while the evening's highest bid was placed for a piece by Doig, which sold for £50,000.

Other featured artists included Mona Hatoum, Rana Begum, Hassan Hajjaj, Dia al-Azzawi, Steve Sabella and Rasha Eleyan.

The catalogue included Hatoum's glass and metal piece 'Untitled (basket)' (2014), with an estimated value of £16,000 to £20,000. Sabella's 2020 photo collage "Elsewhere XIII" is valued at between £5,000 and £6,500, and Faraj’s composition "Dabka" is worth £10,000.

Event organiser Yosra Elgonaid, an Egyptian-British energy professional, spoke of how she felt compelled to act after months of witnessing the devastation in Gaza.

"I’m not a charity, I’m not a registered entity, I'm not even Palestinian. I’m just a person who, like many others, has been haunted and traumatised by what we've been witnessing in Gaza for the past 18 months," she told The New Arab. "I had to do something, even if it’s just a drop in the ocean."

Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Hanoon Foundation, a registered charity providing long-term medical training and acute healthcare services in Gaza, the West Bank, and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

Elgonaid said she had worried about donor fatigue and the sustainability of public attention, but was encouraged by the turnout and the funds raised.

"I was very nervous before the event. People are tired, they’re heartbroken, and they’ve been giving for months. But people showed up. And they gave generously. That gives me hope," she told TNA.

Since the start of Israel's war on the besieged Gaza, the territory has suffered widespread destruction of medical facilities, with more than 1,150 healthcare workers reported killed and over 110,000 people wounded, many with life-changing injuries.

"This is not just about raising money. It’s about reminding people that this is still happening. Gaza still needs us. And that solidarity is not just a moment, it’s a commitment," Elgonaid added.

'Let this be the night we acted on it'

Moderated by award-winning journalist Tara Kangarlou, the night's panel featured voices from academia, medicine, law, and diplomacy, including Palestinian ambassador Husam Zomlot, surgeon Dr Ahmed Mukhalalati,  Hanoon vice-chair Khaled Dawas, lawyer and writer  Selma Dabbagh, Rice University professor Merissa Khurma and Israeli-British analyst and former negotiator Daniel Levy.

The discussion focused on the humanitarian consequences of the conflict, particularly on health infrastructure and international law.

"We are living in a moment that will be recorded in history. We can either be silent or we can show up. We can either normalise genocide, or we can fight against it with every tool available," Zomlot told the audience.

"What we are seeing is not just about now. It is about tomorrow. It is about whether our children will inherit a world where the rule of law matters, or one where the powerful can do whatever they like, without consequences," he added.

Palestinian-American lawyer Lina Hadid, a cousin of model Bella Hadid, also spoke during the auction. She curated an exclusive set of luxury goods, which included pieces such as a Phillip Lim handbag with '#FreePalestine' and a Versace Barocco football.

"The killing of children is the red line. When children are targeted, when children are killed to destroy a group, that is genocide," she said. "Let this be the night we named it, let this be the night we acted on it, and let this be the night we drew the red line."

The event concluded with a live musical performance by the Joubran Trio, a group of Palestinian oud players whose work has become internationally associated with the Palestinian cultural movement. 

Previous editions of Voices of Palestine, held in late 2023 and early 2024, raised over £770,000 combined. The latest edition brings the total to more than £1 million raised for medical and humanitarian work in Gaza and the Palestinian territories since the initiative began.