The Biden administration in the US had reportedly set aside $50 million for a program to distribute condoms in the Gaza Strip, where the conflict between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing for more than 15 months. However, the Trump administration later froze the funds as part of its efforts to cut spending.
The funding plan was disclosed in the first week of the Donald Trump administration by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. However, the official did not provide any evidence to back up the claim, and a former senior Biden official dismissed it as a “feverish dream.”
Leavitt stated that the DOGE and OMB found $37 million was about to be sent to the World Health Organisation and that $50 million in taxpayer money was set to fund condoms in Gaza. She called it a "preposterous waste of taxpayer money."
Reports have revealed that Hamas in Gaza has been using condoms as improvised weapons by filling them with inflammable gases and releasing them as balloons towards southern Israel. After this, Elon Musk shared a report on the incident and joked, "Explains why all condom orders were 'Magnum'," referring to the brand selling extra-large-sized condoms.
However, a former senior official in the Biden administration dismissed the claim. Andrew Miller, who served as deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, called it “outlandish.”
“It’s possible that $50 million could be allocated for sexual health or related services, including gynaecology, but certainly not just for condoms,” Miller told The Times of Israel.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is planning to temporarily freeze federal grants, loans, and aid to review their alignment with President Trump’s executive orders on funding. The review of expenditures for Gaza was part of this process.