In October 2024, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) personnel uncovered a significant Hezbollah weapons cache in a Lebanese village. The cache included sniper rifles, anti-tank missiles, explosives, and packages labeled from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The presence of USAID materials alongside these weapons has raised concerns about the potential diversion of U.S. aid to terrorist organizations.
Asher Fredman, a former IDF soldier and current executive director of the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy in Jerusalem, reported the discovery. He noted that Hezbollah militants had recently occupied the village but fled upon the IDF’s approach, leaving behind the weapons and USAID packages.
This incident has intensified scrutiny of USAID’s distribution processes. Gerald Steinberg, founder of NGO Monitor, stated that such occurrences are not isolated. He emphasized that USAID has been aware of taxpayer-funded assistance reaching terrorist groups, stating on X that “The folks at USAID knew that taxpayers’ money and ‘emergency assistance’ went to terrorists. @NGOmonitor has repeatedly documented systematic aid diversion by terrorist organizations in Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen.”
Further investigations by the Middle East Forum revealed that USAID approved grants totaling $164 million to radical organizations, with at least $122 million directed to groups aligned with designated terrorists. The report suggests that billions more may have been funneled through agencies that fail to adequately vet local partners, leading to inadvertent support of terrorist activities.
These findings have prompted calls for increased oversight of foreign aid distribution to ensure that U.S. taxpayer funds do not inadvertently support terrorist organizations. The incident underscores the necessity for stringent monitoring and accountability in international aid programs.
