A provision within the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 would prohibit any allocated funds from financing reconstruction in Gaza.
The US House of Representatives passed the NDAA after Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) amended it to include the prohibition.
Representative Mast justified the amendment by claiming any group controlling the Gaza Strip will have links to terrorism and would thus use American aid for nefarious purposes.
“Any group that takes control of the Gaza Strip following this war will have ties to terrorism and be opposed to the existence of our ally — Israel,” said Mast. “Given this reality, even one penny of American tax dollars used to build or rebuild infrastructure in Gaza will just be going to subsidize the next attack on Israel.”
The NDAA passed along party lines while Mast’s amendment was included via voice vote.
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the US has sent over $7 billion in aid to Gaza since 1993.
Past funds have been used for humanitarian relief as well as infrastructure projects, such as building wastewater collection systems or funding hospitals.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have been extensively documenting Hamas’ use of public funds along with Hospitals, Schools, and civilian residences to launch terrorist attacks.
Consequently, conservatives have pushed for initiatives, such as Mast’s, to limit Hamas’ access to foreign support.
Such initiatives include investigating American organizations that are rumored to be assisting Hamas’ war against Israel.
Earlier this week, for example, Republican Senators called for investigating Washington state-based newspaper The Palestine Chronicle following reports the latter cooperated with Hamas.
The Chronicle caused controversy after the IDF claimed Abdallah Aljamal, one of the Chronicle’s contributors, had been permitting Hamas to use his home to hold three hostages.
