Hamas runs Gaza. How can American aid circumvent a terror group that hates us?
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has written a letter to USAID administrator Samantha Power demanding answers on how the Biden Administration plans to ensure hundreds in millions in Palestinian aid gets into the hands of the people who actually need it.
“This includes assessments and controls for hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer-funded humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank and the risk that any of these funds could fall into the hands of or otherwise aid Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) such as Hamas,” Comer writes in the letter.
Comer continues: “The scale and complexity of the barbaric Hamas atrocities that commenced on October 7th in Israel make it clear that significant financial resources were used for these attacks. Public reports state that the Islamic Republic of Iran provides Hamas with direct funding, amounting to tens of millions annually. We also know that the Biden Administration dramatically increased funding to Gaza and the West Bank and on October 18th, he publicly announced an additional $100 million in U.S. aid to the area.”
“It is vital to fully account for U.S. funds intended for humanitarian purposes to ensure they do not directly or indirectly fund terrorism,” Comer wrote in the letter, which was first obtained by Axios.
A USAID spox says there’s nothing to worry about, stating “We have been clear that any interference by Hamas will jeopardize the continuation of that life-saving assistance.”
But this isn’t Hamas’ first aid-stealing rodeo. A State Department memo from 2021 raises a red flag over aid to Palestinians, saying “Due to its overall strength and level of control over Gaza, we assess there is a high risk Hamas could potentially derive indirect, unintentional benefit from U.S. assistance to Gaza. There is less but still some risk U.S. assistance would benefit other designated groups.”
Comer’s fellow committee member, Marjorie Taylor Greene, echoed the chairman’s concern in posts on social media outlets.
“Joe Biden wants to give hundreds of millions of dollars to Gaza and the West Bank in humanitarian aid. What guarantees do the American people have that their hard-earned tax dollars won’t end up in the hands of Hamas?”
Hopefully, USAID can supply the answer.
