President Donald Trump and his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, recently claimed the administration stopped a $50 million program that aimed to send condoms to Gaza, alleging that the contraceptives were being used by Hamas to create incendiary devices. However, fact-checking and available reports raise significant doubts about the accuracy of the claim.
The Claim: Condoms and Bombs
During a statement on Wednesday, Trump claimed that his administration had halted the funding, stating:
“We identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas. They’ve used them as a method of making bombs.”
The assertion refers to the documented use of gas-filled condoms and balloons by Hamas and other militant groups to carry incendiary devices toward Israel.
However, neither Trump nor his administration has provided clear evidence of a specific U.S. program involving such large-scale condom shipments or proof that Hamas received these contraceptives directly through U.S. aid programs.
What Do Reports Show About U.S. Funding and Contraceptive Shipments?
According to available data from the U.S. State Department and USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development), the claim of $50 million for condom shipments to Gaza appears exaggerated or unsubstantiated:
- Past Contraceptive Shipments:
- USAID reports show only limited shipments of contraceptives to the Middle East.
- The latest available report for fiscal year 2023 reveals that USAID sent $45,680 worth of contraceptives to Jordan, but no condoms were included.
- The last known shipment of condoms in the region was to Yemen in fiscal year 2019, comprising just 4% of $1.1 million in contraceptive supplies.
- Total Spending on Contraceptives:
- In fiscal year 2023, USAID spent $60 million globally on contraceptives across 23 countries.
- This total does not align with the administration’s claim that $50 million was allocated for condoms specifically in Gaza.
Tammy Bruce and the $102 Million in Funding
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce acknowledged a federal pause in foreign assistance, which included preventing $102 million in “unjustified funding” for a contractor in Gaza. Part of this funding was said to involve “contraception,” but Bruce did not confirm whether this included condoms or the $50 million figure mentioned by Trump.
In response, the International Medical Corps, a U.S.-based global aid organization, clarified that it had received $68 million from USAID since October 2023 and denied using any of the funds to procure or distribute condoms in Gaza.
Has Hamas Used Condoms as Bombs Before?
Yes, there is documented evidence that Hamas and other militant groups have used gas-filled condoms and balloons to carry incendiary devices, often targeting Israeli farmland and communities. Photos captured by the Associated Press in 2020 showed militants attaching explosives to such devices.
However, there is no evidence that these condoms came from U.S. government aid programs.
The claim that $50 million was allocated for condoms in Gaza and subsequently cut by the Trump administration lacks evidence based on current reports. While condoms have been used in Hamas attacks, U.S. funding records indicate that large-scale condom shipments to Gaza have not occurred through USAID programs.
The largest known contraceptive shipment in recent years involved $45,680 to Jordan, and any mention of $50 million remains speculative.