The Biden administration sent nearly $1 million to a group with links to the Hamas terrorist organization, according to a new report. The news comes amid new fighting in the conflict in the Middle East and a call from the president this week for Israel to abide by a new ceasefire.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sent more than $900,000 to the Bayader Association for Environment and Development based in the Gaza Strip. The organization has close ties to Hamas, which rules the territory.
The Middle East Forum’s Focus on Western Islamism reported that the Bayader organization was granted money through a U.S. nonprofit organization, which then sent the money onward.
The group allegedly hosted the son of the founder of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh at an event early last year.
USAID previously praised the work of the Bayader organization and some officials visited the offices of the organization. One of the USAID officials reportedly received an award from the group.
The Biden administration sent the last funds just six days prior to the Oct. 7 terrorist attack that killed 1,200 people.
President Joe Biden called upon Israel to enact a ceasefire during the current fighting in the Gaza Strip. Israel voluntarily withdrew most of its forces out of the southern part of the territory over the weekend.
However, Hamas rejected multiple calls for a ceasefire. In part, the terrorist group said that it could not honor such a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages because many of the hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attacks were likely dead.
Furthermore, there was disagreements regarding whether or not Israel had set a date for an attack on Rafah, the last remaining major Hamas stronghold. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country had a date set for such an attack.
I am not a political partisan. But months ago, as Israelis were overwhelmingly grateful for Biden’s heartwarming messages, I predicted Biden would turn on Israel as he kowtowed to the extreme left of his party. https://t.co/QPLefk4KcS
— Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) April 10, 2024
However, Biden administration officials said that there was no such date set for the siege of the city.
