U.S. Taxpayers Have Funded $400 Million in 'Developmental' Projects for Hamas Since 2008: Report
Aid sent to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip was for developmental projects.
Oct. 11 2023, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
A report revealed that since Hamas took power of the Gaza Strip in 2007, the U.S. government has invested over $400 million in taxpayer funds for the political organization, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Government funding documents stated taxpayer funds were spent on development projects inside the Gaza Strip.
The White House is lit up in blue and white in a public display of support for Israel.
The State Department's humanitarian agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), was responsible for funding the various Gaza Strip development projects.
The hundreds of millions sent to Hamas are now under scrutiny after the group launched a devastating and highly advanced surprise attack against Israel. Thousands were killed and Israeli citizens were kidnapped in the siege over the weekend.
Though USAID defended the funds as humanitarian assistance, critics and lawmakers claimed U.S. taxpayer dollars were misused.
The Biden administration is expected to spend over an estimated $500 million in aid from 2021 to 2024.
Critics warned that U.S. aid was instead used to support and advance the Hamas terrorist regime and campaign against Israel. Moreover, Hamas' tight grip on Gaza meant that any aid received from foreign nations was controlled as the group saw fit.
In 2021, Joe Biden's first year as president, the U.S. spent "at least $5.5 million in Gaza" on "cash assistance and health care."
The figure reflected the increase in funding sent to Palestinian territories. The U.S. sent $90 million to a United Nations program that operates in the area, according to the AP.
The region was devastated by airstrikes between the Hamas and Israel.
The following year, in mid-2022, the Biden administration announced a hefty $316 million in aid for Palestinians. The enormous aid package included developmental and infrastructure projects like bringing a 4G wireless network to the area.
According to the Free Beacon, USAID reported that the aid package was part of the "over $500 million in programming" estimated to be spent by the Democrat president's administration between 2021 and 2024 "to support the Palestinian people."
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Innocent Israeli and Palestinian citizens were killed, kidnapped and displaced in the crossfire.
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The USAID funding document laid out various projects that the funding aimed to tackle, such as bringing "wastewater management [programs]" to "both the West Bank and Gaza."
Other programs were designed to assist and support "vulnerable populations in the West Bank and Gaza."
Additional programs allowed for the U.S. government to allocate "up to $250 million over five years to advance peaceful co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians to enable a sustainable two-state solution," though it remains unclear how previous funding was actually spent in the region.
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