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Another instance involved the State Department granting the Natuf group $2,900 for an "art and graffiti therapy" project, a $19,996 grant for a program promoting "inclusive economic and educational partnerships for youth," and a $19,806 grant for raising environmental awareness in the community.

The Biden administration also granted $41,213 to a group called Fares Al-Arab, which has been designated as a terrorist group. This funding was intended for a journalism program. Fares Al-Arab has aligned itself with Hamas and expressed staunchly anti-Israel views.

Controversial UNRWA may be Funding Terrorism

Furthermore, President Biden pledged significant new funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), despite criticism for its numerous connections to Hamas. While the previous administration had cut off taxpayer funding to UNRWA in 2018, President Biden reinstated it, committing over $200 million to the organization in the last year.

Critics have accused UNRWA of promoting anti-Israel sentiments, enabling Hamas to utilize its resources, and collaborating with groups in Palestinian territories associated with terrorism. UNRWA has worked closely with the United Kingdom-based charity, the Palestinian Relief and Development Fund (Interpal), on projects in Gaza. 

In 2003, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Interpal for its links to Hamas, and the group remains sanctioned in the United States.

UNRWA faced criticism in 2017 when the chairman of its Palestinian workers' union was allegedly elected to a Hamas leadership position. This wasn't the first time UNRWA was accused of employing individuals associated with Hamas, leading to the suspension of the union chairman.

Republicans React

In the same year, Hamas-built tunnels, used for the clandestine transportation of fighters and weapons, were discovered under UNRWA schools, prompting calls for more stringent oversight of the schools funded by the relief agency. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even called for the dissolution of the agency.

In response to these concerns, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Sen. James Risch (R-ID) introduced legislation earlier this year aimed at cutting U.S. funding to UNRWA due to its "long history of employing those affiliated with Hamas" and its alleged promotion of antisemitism. Their bill requires, among other things, that the relief agency severs ties with groups suspected by the U.S. of having financial links to terrorism.

Despite these growing concerns, the Biden administration has shown no signs of reducing aid to UNRWA or Palestinians in Gaza, even though internal documents from 2021 revealed that officials discussed the need for a sanctions waiver to deliver most of the funding to Palestinians to avoid violating anti-terrorism laws.