How Much U.S. Aid Goes to Terrorists?

Written by Hudson Crozier

What’s happening: President Joe Biden’s administration admitted this month that humanitarian aid to Palestinians is likely to be stolen or diverted by terrorist groups. This comes after the government shipped off $100 million in aid to Gaza and the West Bank amid the Israel-Hamas war.

How it works: The federal government relies on United Nations workers and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to deliver the resources on the ground. This is nearly impossible without interacting with “armed groups” that control the regions, the U.S. Agency for International Development warned.

• Corruption and threats: The USAID cited a 2018 case in which a U.S.-funded organization was caught handing resources to Hamas. Humanitarian workers also “regularly” face threats and coercion while delivering aid, the agency noted.

Why it matters: The U.S. has known for years that sending resources to terror-plagued regions is a dangerous gamble. Biden still claims it’s necessary — even as his administration faces a lawsuit for it.

• The case: The Palestinian Authority is known to use aid money to sponsor terror attacks. While acknowledging this, the Biden administration sent hundreds of millions of dollars to the P.A. despite a federal law clearly listing it as ineligible for funds.

• It doesn’t stop there: The administration has also sent billions in taxpayer dollars to Afghanistan, knowing that the Taliban — which the U.S. fought for about 20 years — “benefits” from and interferes with the aid.

• Going forward: Biden promises that the aid to Gaza and the West Bank will stop “if Hamas diverts or steals” it.