Israel war: House Republicans question whether US weapons ended up with Hamas

EXCLUSIVE — American-made weapons may have ended up in the hands of Hamas terrorists, and House Republicans want assurances from the Pentagon that the United States is keeping a close enough watch on its weaponry.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) requested a briefing for congressional staff about how the military is ensuring its aid to allies does not get diverted by hostile groups.

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“The Committee has seen reports that U.S.-manufactured weapons are being redistributed and resold in secondary markets to terrorist organizations, including Hamas,” Comer and Greene wrote in their letter.

Ukrainian intelligence officials said earlier this month that Ukraine’s forces believe Russia armed Hamas with American-made weapons captured from the battlefield in Ukraine.

The U.S. has sent more than $45 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began last year.

An Israel Defense Forces commander also raised concerns in June, months before Hamas attacked Israel, that the Palestinian terrorist group had obtained American-made weapons from Afghanistan.

The Taliban have engaged in extensive arms dealing with guns and equipment left behind by U.S. troops during the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

President Joe Biden has asked Congress to pass a massive spending bill that will include more than $65 billion in aid to Ukraine and Israel.

Some Republicans had cast doubt on the likelihood of sending additional aid to Ukraine. They raised concerns about a lack of oversight of the weapons, humanitarian assistance, and financial support the Biden administration has already sent Ukraine.

But Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7 has driven up bipartisan support for sending aid to the Israelis, and the Biden administration’s efforts to tie that aid to Ukrainian assistance could complicate the politics of the funding.

The House Oversight Republicans requested a staff briefing by Oct. 30 on “DOD procedures for preventing, addressing, and mitigating weapon diversion abroad,” according to their letter.

GOP lawmakers have already launched investigations into the Biden administration’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and have pressed administration officials on oversight of aid to Ukraine.

Many have also been critical of Biden’s recent overtures to Iran, one of Hamas’s biggest supporters.

Biden unfroze $6 billion of Iranian oil proceeds last month in an effort to secure the release of American hostages held in Iran.

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The move was one of several that Republicans have blamed for empowering Iran, whose leaders cheered the violence against Israelis.

Some Republicans are planning to fight Biden’s pledge to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, where, GOP critics say, Hamas terrorists could divert the resources toward their attacks on Israel.