House votes to ban funding reconstruction of Gaza

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

New legislation aimed at barring the U.S. from directing funds to the post war reconstruction of the Gaza Strip was passed by the House of Representatives Wednesday, highlighting the partisan divide over the Gaza war and America’s role in the conflict.

The lower chamber of Congress backed the measure by a simple voice vote, with Democrats opposing the measure, which was initiated in the Republican-controlled House.

The bill is an amendment to the fiscal year 2025 defense budget, and would, if passed into law, prohibit the Defense Department from allocating funds to the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip after the current war between Israel and Hamas is concluded.

“None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available to the Secretary of Defense for fiscal year 2025 may be made available to build in or rebuild the Gaza strip on or after the date of the enactment of this Act,” the one-page amendment reads.

The proposal was drafted by Florida Republican Brian Mast and co-sponsored by Claudia Tenney (NY-R) and Eli Crane (AZ-R).

While the measure passed in the House, it is unlikely to move forward in the Senate during its current session, while Democrats hold control of the chamber.

Representative Mast, who introduced the measure, justified the amendment during an address on the House floor, warning that funds allocated to Gaza’s reconstruction would likely be used against Israel.

“Americans should not be funding the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip whenever this war should come to an end, which we don’t have any indication of when that will be.”

“We should not be paying to build new infrastructure in the Gaza Strip should this war come to an end. Not a port, not a building, and certainly not a terror tunnel…certainly not a building which could be used to hold those that are held captive.”

“They are absolutely at war with one of our major and best allies anywhere across the globe.”