On Tuesday, while he was testifying in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken admitted that Hamas will get its hands on some of the aid the U.S. is sending to Gaza.
During his testimony, he also refused to guarantee that U.S. taxpayer dollars were not used to fund the October 7 attack on Israel.
WATCH: Biden Secretary of State Antony Blinken refuses — three times in a row — to guarantee U.S. taxpayer dollars were not used to fund the October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks pic.twitter.com/z87B3f9eey
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 31, 2023
From Fox News:
“Can I promise you in this committee that there’ll be 100% delivery to the designated recipients? No, there will inevitably be some spillage,” he said. “We haven’t seen it to date, but I think we have to anticipate that. But the overwhelming, overwhelming majority of the assistance thus far is getting to people who need it. And we need more.”
However, Biden spokesperson John Kirby said there’s no indication that Hamas has gotten its hands on any of the aid the U.S. has sent.
Top Biden spokesman John Kirby claims there's "no indication, none, that Hamas has gotten their hands on any of the humanitarian assistance that has gone in" to Gaza pic.twitter.com/LOV2WRU56D
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 31, 2023
Blinken said so far, the U.S. has gotten up to 50 trucks of aid per day into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
He also said the U.S. is trying to coordinate 100 trucks of aid per day into the conflict zone this week, arguing that it is the “bare minimum of what is needed.”
“Before the conflict in Gaza, before Hamas’ aggression against Israel and its response, the U.N. and other agencies and other organizations providing relief were sending in between 500 and 800 hundred trucks a day,” he said. “Right now, we’re up to almost 60. We’re trying to get to 100 this week.”
When asked about the process to make sure the aid is not going to terrorists, Blinken said “from day one, we have been working with the Israeli government, with Egypt, with the U.N. agencies, as well as with other actors to try to make sure that assistance could get in to people who need it in Gaza, but get in, in a way that doesn’t go to the people who don’t need it. And that’s Hamas.
Blinken’s testimony was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters, who called for a ceasefire in Gaza. He responded to the ceasefire talks, saying it will only strengthen Hamas.
SecState Blinken on ceasefire calls: ״A ceasefire, in this moment, would simply consolidate what Hamas has been able to do and allow it to remain where it is, and potentially repeat what it did another day. And that's not tolerable.” pic.twitter.com/DsOAtLssjO
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) October 31, 2023
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