Elon Musk claims US ‘$50 million condom aid’ to Gaza funded Hamas. What is the truth?

Elon Musk raised concerns regarding the alleged $50 million US ‘Condom Aid’ in Gaza. The Tesla Chief suggested that the US 'Condom Aid’ may have been misappropriated to benefit the militant group Hamas in Gaza.

During a recent press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, discovered this funding as part of a broader review of foreign aid expenditures. Elon Musk described the situation as the “tip of the iceberg”.

The Trump administration has frozen nearly all foreign assistance programs for at least 90 days. The order, however, includes exceptions for Israel and Egypt, which annually receive $3.3 billion and $1.3 billion in foreign military financing, respectively.

White House Claims US Was Funding Condoms in Gaza

The US funding for condoms in Gaza has become a contentious issue following statements made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who claimed that $50 million had been earmarked for condom distribution in the region.

On Wednesday, Karoline Leavitt described the funding as a "preposterous waste of taxpayer money" and announced a freeze on federal assistance programs pending a review of expenditures.

What did Elon Musk Claim?

Regarding the alleged US condom aid in Gaza, Elon Musk wrote on X “My guess is that a lot of that money ended up in the pockets Hamas, not actually condoms.”

Musk added in another post, "Yes, even in the unlikely event that the money was actually spent on condoms, we should NOT be sending US taxpayer money to buy condoms for foreigners."

An X user claimed that the condoms were being used to transport IEDs and were used to carry incendiary material to harm Israeli citizens. To this Elon Musk replied, “Explains why all the condom orders were magnum."

Did US Fund Condoms in Gaza? What Records Show?

A review of records from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) revealed no evidence of condom shipments to Gaza in 2023, with the only documented delivery being a $45,680 shipment to Jordan.

Notably, this was the first condom shipment to the region since 2019.

USAID’s 2023 report shows that the US delivered over $60 million in contraceptives and condoms globally, with 89% of funds directed to Africa, 9% Asia and 2% to Latin America.

Critics have pointed out that condoms are relatively inexpensive and that the population of Gaza is around two million, making it unlikely that such a large sum would be necessary for condom distribution alone.