The inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) expressed concerns that officials hadn’t adequately assessed the risks associated with providing aid in Gaza and the West Bank, including the possibility of funding groups with ties to terrorism.
“We assess there is a high-risk Hamas could potentially derive indirect, unintentional benefit from U.S. assistance to Gaza,” the Inspector-General report claimed.
Various international aid organizations also highlighted that local groups in Palestinian areas were at risk of being designated as terrorist organizations by the Israeli government. As a result, other foreign aid providers decided not to engage with these groups in their projects, as reported by the inspector general’s report.
The USAID responded by claiming that these restrictions would limit the number of potential partners available for their mission.
Despite these challenges, it appears that the Biden administration provided funds to several groups with known links to terrorism in Gaza and the West Bank, both territories partially or entirely under Palestinian control. Hamas governs Gaza, while the Palestinian Authority governs parts of the West Bank.
Money Funnel
One example is the State Department’s allocation of $18,315 to the Gaza-based group Natuf for Environment and Community Development, which is backed by a Palestinian bank sanctioned by the U.S. and criticized by Israel for its ties to Hamas. The State Department grant aimed to support female entrepreneurs in Gaza.
