Trump siphons $17 billion from Gaza Fund to benefit Israel: Report
US President Donald Trump has reportedly redirected $17 billion earmarked for the Gaza Strip to the Israeli regime.
A new report by the Lebanese daily Al Akhbar has ignited a firestorm of controversy by reporting that the transfer was carried out under the cover of the US Israeli aggression against Iran, which began on February 28.
According to the report, Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative of the so-called “Peace Council” – a body established by the US administration – has informed the administrative committee managing the Gaza Strip that the dedicated fund is now completely empty.
The money, which was intended to support the Council and finance the reconstruction of Gaza, has been transferred to the Israeli side.
Citing informed sources, Al Akhbar reports that during a January conference in Davos, the head of the committee, Ali Shaath, received pledges of financial aid for approximately 350,000 families.
These pledges included $500 payments to local notable figures and tribal elders, as well as the provision of 20,000 prefabricated housing units.
However, none of these promises have materialized, with Mladenov citing the lack of a comprehensive vision and the absence of financial resources – funds which, according to the report, were transferred to Israel amidst the ongoing US Israeli aggression against Iran.
The report also sheds light on behind-the-scenes political maneuvering. Before the meeting with Mladenov, Shaath held talks with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had previously been considered for a supervisory role on the committee.
Blair urged Shaath to refrain from engaging in any political activity and to focus solely on humanitarian relief.
However, this advice was contradicted by subsequent directives from Mladenov, who instructed Shaath not to express any position on the situation in Gaza – even on humanitarian grounds – and to cease all executive actions related to the committee’s activities in the region.
The growing confusion and paralysis within the committee have led various Palestinian factions to call for Shaath’s return to Gaza. However, Shaath has deferred the decision to Mladenov, who is viewed as the representative of the Peace Council’s senior leadership.
This situation underscores the direct and far-reaching US and Israeli intervention in the administration of the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian officials have been stripped of any real authority and are subject to severe restrictions, including a ban on political communications.
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