Senate Republicans urge Schumer to reject Biden request for Gaza humanitarian aid

A group of Senate Republicans are urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to reject a request from the Biden administration to provide up to $9 billion in humanitarian assistance to Gaza, arguing the money would be stolen by the Hamas militant group amid the war in Israel.

In a letter sent to Schumer on Tuesday, the GOP lawmakers pressed the New York Democrat to decline the president’s request as Congress continues to consider legislation to provide relief to the war-torn country and crucial U.S. ally. The $9 billion humanitarian aid is part of President Joe Biden’s broader supplemental request of $106 billion to go toward Israel, Ukraine, and U.S. border security.

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“We are writing to demand that, during Israel’s existential war against Iran’s terrorist proxies, you reject the billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance requested for Gaza as part of President Biden’s $106 billion aid package,” wrote Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who led the letter. “As you know, sending aid to the Palestinians in Gaza is akin to funneling aid directly to Hamas. The president’s decision to allocate additional funding, in addition to the $100 million in aid previously announced, will inevitably end up in the hands of a genocidal Palestinian terrorist organization that has evidenced its desire to destroy the Jewish state.”

The letter cited instances in which Hamas has stolen humanitarian aid given to international organizations in order to fund its “terror campaign against Israel.” Lawmakers pointed to an instance in which U.S. humanitarian aid was given to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to provide fuel and medical equipment, which was later stolen by Hamas.

“This is not speculation — just last week, we saw reports that Hamas stole fuel and medical equipment from UNRWA, which the organization initially admitted but then subsequently denied,” the letter stated. “UNICEF medical kits were even found on the bodies of Hamas terrorists from the horrific October 7th attack.”

The letter comes just hours before two of the Biden administration’s top advisers, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, are set to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee to defend the president’s supplemental request.

The request includes several provisions that would provide humanitarian relief to Ukraine in addition to Israel, as well as channeling funds to the southern border. Biden has justified the joint petition by arguing the two allies are crucial to U.S. national security despite some GOP lawmakers pressing the president to decouple the requests.

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As part of the $106 billion package, $14.3 billion would go toward Israel, $9 billion toward humanitarian relief in Israel and Gaza, $13.6 billion for U.S. border security, $61.4 billion for Ukraine, and another $4 billion in military assistance to counter China in Asia.

The letter was signed by nine other Senate Republicans, including Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Rick Scott (R-FL), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).