A recent news report has gained renewed attention in light of Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group, launching an attack on Israel over the weekend. The report suggests that American weapons seized in Afghanistan may have found their way into the hands of Palestinian groups operating in the Gaza Strip.
According to a Newsweek report published in June, an Israeli commander indicated that some U.S. small arms confiscated in Afghanistan had been spotted in the possession of Palestinian groups in Gaza.
This report resurfaced on social media, particularly amidst allegations that the Biden administration indirectly supported Hamas’s attack on Israel by unfreezing $6 billion in funds destined for Iran, a major supporter of Hamas. The Biden administration countered these claims, clarifying that the $6 billion had not yet been released, was under the control of a Qatari bank, and was intended solely for humanitarian purposes.
Nonetheless, critics of the Biden administration argued that money, being fungible, could indirectly bolster Iran’s financial resources, potentially enabling the government to allocate funds for various purposes, including support for groups like Hamas.
Republican presidential candidate Senator Tim Scott expressed concerns in an interview, suggesting that even if Iran hadn’t accessed the $6 billion completely, the knowledge of having such funds could influence spending decisions.
Furthermore, he noted Iran’s stated intention to use the money according to its desires, which, in his view, included funding terrorism against American allies.
The Israeli commander interviewed by Newsweek also expressed apprehension about the possibility of U.S. and Western-provided weapons intended for Ukraine falling into the hands of Hamas.
The Israeli commander, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the subject, mentioned that the diversion of weapons, including the Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile system, was being monitored in the context of paramilitary activities during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He pointed out that pro-Russian forces might be inclined to transfer captured U.S.-supplied weapons due to Russia’s close defense ties with Iran, while pro-Ukrainian elements could be driven by financial incentives to smuggle arms. The primary route for such transfers was said to be from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
The Israeli commander cited two primary concerns for Israel: the potential for hostile groups, particularly Iran, to reverse-engineer these capabilities and the risk of such weapons falling into the hands of Hezbollah and Hamas.
Newsweek also reported an incident on August 20, where a Russian Il-76 transport aircraft allegedly delivered cargo worth approximately $100 million in Tehran, including Western weapons such as U.S.-made Javelins and United Kingdom-made Next Generation Light Anti-armor weapons (NLAWs). A U.S. State Department spokesperson acknowledged the risk of possible illicit diversion and stated that steps were being taken to mitigate this risk in collaboration with the Ukrainian government. The spokesperson emphasized that the weapons were being sent to assist Ukraine in defending itself during an active conflict, acknowledging the inherent risk of weapons being captured if territory changed hands in war, as is typical in such situations.
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SOURCE
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/10/08/report-u-s-weapons-from-afghanistan-ended-up-with-palestinian-groups-operating-in-the-gaza-strip/