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A mix-up over a US government grant has caused a political storm, with claims that the Biden administration allocated $50 million for condom distribution in Gaza. However, the funds were actually for an AIDS and STD prevention programme in Gaza province, Mozambique—not the Palestinian enclave, according to US department of health and human services.
The controversy gained traction after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, under the new Trump administration, claimed that taxpayer money had been wasted on condoms for Gaza. She called it a “preposterous waste of taxpayer money,” citing a review by the department of government efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). However, no documentation was provided to support this claim.
An X user, citing a fact-checking website, pointed out that the US department of health and human services (HHS) had actually sent $83 million to Mozambique, including funding for health programmes in Gaza province. The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, a recipient of these funds, has received over $83 million since 2021 to support HIV and TB services in Mozambique.
A key source of confusion was a misspelling in the grant description, which referred to “INGAZA.” This led to misleading assumptions that the funds were linked to the Gaza Strip in Palestine.
International Medical Corps
(IMC), an organisation that provides medical care in Gaza, also refuted the claims. It said: “No US. government funding was used to procure or distribute condoms, nor provide family-planning services.” Additionally, reports from fiscal years 2007 through 2023 on contraceptive shipments by USAID show no record of condoms being sent to Gaza.
Despite the facts, claims that the Biden administration supplied millions of dollars' worth of condoms to Gaza gained further attention when Fox News talk show host Jesse Watters alleged that Hamas was using the supposed U.S. condom shipments to make “condom bombs” by launching explosive-laden balloons into Israel. However, he provided no evidence to support this claim.
Elon Musk also weighed in on social media, sarcastically referencing “Magnum” condoms, a brand known for its larger sizes. His comment referred to past reports of Hamas using flaming condoms as incendiary devices.
Andrew Miller, a former deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, dismissed the accusations as “outlandish.” He suggested that while some US funding may have gone towards broader sexual health services, it was highly unlikely that millions of dollars were allocated just for condoms.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues its review of federal spending, temporarily halting several aid programmes.
