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U.S. officials have for years warned that Hamas has exploited ostensibly civilian and humanitarian funding streams to support its terrorist infrastructure, fueling concerns over whether money entering Gaza can be kept out of the terror group's hands as a new U.S.-backed governing structure prepares to take control.

The Treasury Department has repeatedly targeted what it describes as Hamas financing networks, including a secret investment portfolio, sham charities and organizations that raised money under the guise of humanitarian work while supporting Hamas' military wing.

Those concerns resurfaced this week after Israel's Kan News reported that a provision in the Board of Peace's Gaza roadmap could allow up to $400 million to address unpaid obligations accumulated during Hamas' rule, including money owed to public-sector workers, suppliers and contractors.

The dispute is over whether a successor government can settle legitimate obligations inherited from nearly two decades of Hamas rule without indirectly benefiting the terrorist group. Critics warn that doing so could relieve financial burdens associated with Hamas' rule or create opportunities for the group to siphon off resources while it retains influence on the ground. Board officials argue the mechanism is instead designed to allow a successor government to preserve essential services and relationships with legitimate workers and suppliers — with each claim individually vetted and any payment that could benefit Hamas rejected.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROBES UNRWA OVER ALLEGED EMPLOYMENT OF 1,500 TERRORISTS

Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, sharply rejected the characterization that the provision amounted to a financial agreement with Hamas.

"The claims that there is a financial agreement between the Board of Peace and Hamas are false," Mladenov wrote in Hebrew on X Wednesday, adding that no such proposal had been "discussed, negotiated, or considered." He said the Board's objective remained the complete disarmament of Hamas and the establishment of civilian governance backed by an international security presence.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that he remained alarmed by the provision.

"I'm deeply concerned about these reports. Terrorists use money as fungible and they build credibility by having international donors finance their debts, which is why Congress long ago banned money from going to Palestinian governments in the West Bank," Cruz said.

"We also know that international donors paid for Hamas to build terrorist infrastructure across the Gaza Strip in the first place, and shouldn't be trusted to direct reimbursement money," Cruz continued. "Hamas should be utterly eradicated before new resources flow into Gaza."

HAMAS AGREES TO COMPLETE DISARMAMENT UNDER 'HISTORIC' GAZA AGREEMENT: TRUMP

A senior Board of Peace official, speaking to Fox News Digital on background Thursday, pushed back on the premise that the roadmap commits $400 million to paying Hamas' debts.

"There's really just a commitment to analyze when we get the data. There's no commitment to fund anything. We don't have an obligation to even do $400 million," the official said.

The official described the provision as a three-year review process, capped at $400 million, under which the successor Gaza administration could determine whether particular unpaid obligations need to be resolved in order to maintain essential services and relationships with legitimate suppliers.

HILLARY CLINTON BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATIC CRITICS BY BACKING TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN AS THE 'ONLY GAME IN TOWN'

"This notion that there's, like, a $400 million payoff vehicle, Hamas kind of has a commitment for it — none of that is true," the official said. "If anybody's gonna start running with a narrative that a $400 million committed tab is beginning now ... that would just be incorrect reporting. That's not the deal."

"No one's picking up a tab right now," the official added, saying any review would take place only after the new Gaza administration gains access to financial records allowing it to determine who the creditors are, what services they provided and whether those relationships are needed going forward.

"Even the first dollar of the $400 million, we're going to evaluate that first dollar," the official said. "It's not going to be a blank check handed to Hamas. It's going to be evaluated, rigorously analyzed."

The official compared the process to a corporate restructuring, arguing that while Hamas is being permanently removed from government, the successor administration cannot necessarily walk away from every legitimate obligation accumulated during the previous government's rule.

HAMAS SAYS IT WILL DISSOLVE GAZA GOVERNMENT, BUT ISRAEL WARNS GROUP STILL SEEKS HEZBOLLAH-STYLE CONTROL

He offered the example of a European pharmaceutical company that supplied medicine to Gaza hospitals but was never paid. If the new administration needs that company to continue supplying medicine, he said, resolving some of its unpaid invoices could be necessary to maintain the relationship.

"The theme here, really, is continuity of services," the official said.

The official did not say that Hamas would have to be fully disarmed across the entire Gaza Strip before the first claim could potentially be paid.

"The reality is that this is going to be community by community," the official said, explaining that the successor administration is expected to move into individual areas as Hamas disarms there.

IRAN REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR HAMAS AS TRUMP PUSHES TO DISARM TERROR GROUP

Asked whether Hamas would have to be completely removed from Gaza before the new administration could resolve an outstanding liability — for example, involving a hospital in Rafah — the official said a payment could occur even if Hamas had not yet been fully removed elsewhere in the Strip.

"The idea is that where those decisions are made, Hamas is not gonna be there," he said.

When Fox News Digital asked specifically whether it was accurate to say money would not be transferred into areas where Hamas remained in control, the official said: "It's accurate to say."

The official acknowledged that more complicated cases could arise if the same supplier operates in both Hamas-free and Hamas-controlled portions of Gaza. Officials might then have to determine whether to reimburse only the portion associated with the area controlled by the successor government or negotiate some other arrangement necessary to maintain the service.

US URGES DONORS TO ABANDON UNRWA FUNDING AS UN DEFENDS AGENCY'S MISSION

Cruz's central criticism is that money is fungible: if international donors satisfy obligations accumulated under Hamas rule, resources that might otherwise have been needed to cover those liabilities could theoretically be used elsewhere.

The Board official rejected that argument, saying Hamas is insolvent and was never going to pay many of the outstanding creditors in the first place.

"It's not as though we're alleviating them from, like, their budget that they actually were gonna actually go pay that $100 and now they get to save it," the official said.

"They were never paying it in the first place," he continued. "We're making a decision separate and apart from Hamas, whether this fits into our budget and our relationships."

HAMAS TAPS 'ULTIMATE INSTITUTIONAL SURVIVOR' AS TERROR CHIEF, SENDING MESSAGE TO ISRAEL: EXPERT

The official described Hamas as "dead insolvent right now" and "financially, completely, completely in shambles."

Fox News Digital also pressed the official on a separate concern: even if money is never transferred directly to Hamas, could the group extract taxes, payments or other benefits from suppliers or employees receiving funds while it remains armed elsewhere?

"If there's a risk that some of the money is going to still end up in the hands of Hamas, then we're gonna shut it down," the official said.

He said officials would examine each recipient, the services provided and where the money ultimately would go.

"If Hamas is not fully disarmed ... can it end up in their hands? If the answer to that question is yes, then they're not gonna get money," he said. "Like, that is crystal clear."

The official also disclosed that the Board intends to try to recover assets it believes Hamas stole and use those assets, where possible, to satisfy legitimate obligations.

"We are going to make a real effort to go and try to recover those assets and use some of those assets, where we have found theft ... to satisfy some of these obligations," he said.

If recovered assets are insufficient, the official said outside funding would come from countries in the region rather than Washington.

"This is coming from regional partners. This is not coming from the United States," he said.

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Jewish voters could provide the decisive margin in Michigan’s November Senate election, particularly as some lifelong Democrats say they are prepared to cross party lines and vote for Republican Mike Rogers against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

Analysts point to Michigan’s last U.S. Senate race decided by just 19,006 votes. With estimates placing the state’s Jewish population between approximately 105,000 and 130,000 adults, those votes could tip the scales in favor of Rogers.

"Republicans made real gains in the most Jewish areas in 2024, and Michigan was no exception," Matthew Knee, a Republican pollster and consultant who serves as chief data officer of Pulse Decision Science, told Fox News Digital.

"Stevens massively outperformed in many Jewish precincts as well," Knee said, commenting on the primary. "Rogers and El-Sayed are both the kinds of candidates that will accelerate this trend. There are only 130,000 Jewish voters in Michigan, but in 2024, Rogers only lost by 19,006 votes, so that can make the difference in that kind of razor-thin environment."

DEM ATTORNEY BACKS GOP HOPEFUL IN MICHIGAN RACE AGAINST EL-SAYED, 'JUMPING SHIP' FROM HIS PARTY'S 'LUNATICS'

For generations, voting for the Democratic Party has been part of the identity of many Jewish families across the state, but since El-Sayed’s victory, some are moving toward the Republican Party.

In interviews with Fox News Digital, several Jewish Michigan voters said El-Sayed’s positions regarding Israel and Zionism have forced them to choose between the liberal values they have supported throughout their lives and what they view as the safety of their children and community.

For many, that prospective vote would not represent a wholesale rejection of the Democratic Party. It would be a break in this single race, a split-ticket vote they once considered unthinkable.

Steve Cohen, a lifelong Michigan resident and self-described "notorious ticket splitter," said the current political climate has made the Senate race especially consequential.

"We’ve had attacks on our synagogues and our school buildings where our kids go," Cohen said. "There’s a torrent of activity pushing anti-Israel and anti-Jewish things on our campuses, and that includes every part of the state of Michigan. So, right now, it’s a little bit scary to be a Jew here."

LEFT-WING ACTIVISTS HECKLE PRO-ISRAEL DEMOCRAT HALEY STEVENS AT MICHIGAN CONVENTION

"I now feel forced to choose between those liberal values and the safety of my children," said Benji, a lifelong Michigan resident and self-identified liberal whose last name Fox News Digital is withholding for security reasons.

"As a lifelong Jewish liberal, I have advocated for liberal values, including commonsense gun laws, LGBT rights, women’s reproductive healthcare, healthcare reform and Black Lives Matter," Benji said.

"El-Sayed may claim to love Jews and the Jewish people, but requiring Jews to be anti-Zionist is a racist purity test and makes his claim ring hollow," he added. "I believe in changing the system from within, but it is no longer safe inside that system for me or for my children."

Stacy, who also asked to withhold her last name, comes from a fifth-generation Democratic Jewish family and has lived in Michigan for 13 years. She has also never voted Republican. Her alienation from the Democratic Party intensified at its state convention in April, where she said she felt hostility toward anyone who openly supported Israel.

"I felt the hatred and hostility in the room toward me if I dared to be supportive of Israel," Stacy said. She recalled watching Stevens being booed and harassed and said she "could see the writing on the wall."

"I take no joy in feeling like my party has abandoned me, but I need to vote this way for self-preservation," she said.

Stacy also pointed to Rogers’ experience, calling him the more qualified candidate "if you look at it just on paper."

Mike Rogers is a former Army officer, FBI special agent, congressman and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Jewish voters make up approximately 1.4% of Michigan’s electorate, representing an estimated 105,000 people statewide, according to the American Jewish Population Project at Brandeis University. Much of the community is concentrated in the politically significant Detroit suburbs.

"We hear constantly about the Muslim vote in Michigan, particularly in Dearborn, as a crucial political bloc. But the truth is that Jews in the Great Lakes State are a comparably sized religious minority and historically a much more important constituency for the Democratic Party," said Jesse Arm, Manhattan Institute vice president and pollster.

BIDEN-WORLD VETERAN ISSUES STARK WARNING ABOUT ABDUL EL-SAYED AS HE CROSSES PARTY LINES

Arm said Jewish voters turn out at high rates and have long provided Democratic candidates with votes and financial support. He said Jewish organizers and political fundraisers described "an unprecedented level of opposition to El-Sayed among Jewish Democrats."

"Some intend simply to withhold their votes and contributions," Arm said. "But many prominent Jewish Democratic families and donors are prepared to go further and directly support Mike Rogers."

Sam Markstein, national political director and spokesman for the Republican Jewish Coalition, told Fox News Digital those voters could provide the decisive margin in November.

Markstein said the RJC analyzed primary results in Oak Park, Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield and Southfield, four Oakland County communities with sizable Jewish populations. According to the organization’s analysis, Stevens received approximately 37,000 votes across those communities, compared with about 20,000 for El-Sayed.

Her combined 17,000-vote advantage was greater than the statewide margin by which Rogers lost his 2024 Senate campaign to Democrat Elissa Slotkin.

"That’s a really big delta there that shows that Jewish voters do not like Abdul El-Sayed," Markstein said.

He called Michigan’s Jewish voters "not just a rounding error" and said Republicans have an opportunity to move more of them into their column in November.

Markstein also criticized El-Sayed’s response to the March terrorist attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. An armed attacker rammed a vehicle into the synagogue, where approximately 140 children were present, before opening fire. No children, congregants or staff members were physically harmed.

FBI NABS 7 FOR ALLEGED 'CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE' TO PRESSURE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, BUSINESSES OVER ISRAEL TIES

El-Sayed initially condemned the attack as "heinous" but later faced criticism after discussing violence in the Middle East while reflecting on the attacker’s actions and saying "hurt people do hurt people."

El-Sayed has maintained that he condemns antisemitism and is committed to protecting Michigan’s Jewish community.

Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign regarding the concerns raised by the Jewish voters who were interviewed but did not receive a response.

However, in a previous statement on concerns over antisemitism, El-Sayed stated in May, "I understand what it’s like to be discriminated against for how I pray. This is why I will always stand against antisemitism and stand with my Jewish brothers and sisters and their right to practice their faith safely, freely and unabashedly."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus for comment but did not receive a response. In a statement issued after the primary, however, the caucus congratulated El-Sayed on his victory while acknowledging "frustration, anxiety and deep disappointment" among Jewish Democrats and calling on the nominee to engage directly with Michigan’s Jewish community.

The caucus said El-Sayed must "address the harm caused during this campaign," arguing his repeated focus on organized Jewish political participation had "crossed an alarming line." At the same time, it urged concerned Jewish Democrats not to abandon the party, saying their place in the Democratic coalition remains "indispensable."

Arm cautioned that Rogers should not take the voting bloc for granted.

"Rogers shouldn’t assume he has it in the bag," Arm said. "El-Sayed is telegenic, disciplined and politically crafty, and he’ll spend the months between now and November looking for ways to present himself as more heterodox and less radical than the record suggests."

The Jewish Federation of Detroit directed Fox News Digital to a statement it released after the primary election result, while noting that, as a 501(c)(3), it "cannot and does not endorse or oppose candidates."

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"As an organization, we will continue to engage across the political spectrum to advocate for issues essential to our future, including standing against antisemitism, violence and bigotry, ensuring the safety and security of the Jewish community and houses of worship, and championing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state," the statement said.

Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in suburban Detroit said the concerns extend beyond any single candidate.

"American Jews have long rejected extremism, particularly within our political parties," Starr told Fox News Digital. "We reject extremism on the right, and we reject extremism on the left. 

"Right now, however, it feels as though extremism on the left is not only becoming louder, but increasingly normalized. That has created a frightening moment for American Jews and certainly for the Jewish community here in Michigan."

For Benji and Stacy, the possibility of voting Republican does not mean they have stopped believing in the causes they have supported for decades. It means that, for the first time, they believe their Democratic values and their safety as Jews have been placed in conflict.

Voting for a Republican was once unthinkable. Following El-Sayed’s nomination, they say it now feels unavoidable.

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More than 3,000 are reported missing in Colombia on Tuesday following a massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake, prompting a desperate search for survivors and a pledge from the Trump administration of $15.5 million in relief.

Videos and photos emerged from Colombia showing first responders combing through rubble and debris, looking for any signs of life. Mayors and governors from Cali, Pereira, Chocó and Manizales said Tuesday at least 179 people had died in those four areas, while the federal government, which last updated its estimates in the hours after earthquake hit Monday, has said at least 111 died, according to The Associated Press.

"We are united in prayer with the Colombian people and stand ready to support President Abelardo De la Espriella and his government as they assess the needs on the ground," the State Department said on X.

It added that "the Trump Administration is committing $15.5 million in funding for emergency shelter, food, protection, and earthquake assessments."

COLOMBIA BUILDING COLLAPSES ON CAMERA AS EARTHQUAKE BRINGS DEATH, DESTRUCTION

Around 1,600 buildings across Colombia have been reported damaged or collapsed, and more than 3,000 people are missing, the AP reported.

President Abelardo De la Espriella, who was inaugurated just days earlier, traveled to Chocó’s capital, Quibdó, on Monday night and announced he was mobilizing "the entire military and police apparatus" to respond, deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs.

"Chocó will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten,’" he said.

JAPAN MALL REBUILT AFTER DEADLY 2016 EARTHQUAKE DESTROYED IN MAJOR TEMBLOR WEEKS AFTER 'FRESH START' REOPENING

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered in San José del Palmar, a town located within the western Chocó region, which borders the Pacific Ocean.

In a post on X, De la Espriella, added that, "The National Government stands with the people of Chocó."

"Immediate economic resources and humanitarian aid have already been allocated to support the more than 1,400 affected families and individuals," he added. "The injured and those requiring priority medical attention are being transferred to Medellín with all available hospital capacity."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chalong Riewrang called a YouTube livestream to say he had shot a government official.

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Fresh off her Republican primary win, veteran meteorologist and Congressional candidate Terri DeBoer told Fox News Digital she is ready to flip the state's Third Congressional District back over to the GOP.

"The one thing that we're really hearing over and over again is people are ready for a change," DeBoer said of her bid to unseat incumbent Dem. Rep. Hillary Scholten. "They are ready to be represented by someone who shares the same common sense West Michigan values as they do, and I'm the best candidate to fill the bill."

DeBoer, a 61-year-old mother of three who worked for several television stations in western Michigan over a 30-year career, is looking to shake up a district that was held by Republicans for decades before Scholten seized it in 2022.

DEMS RALLY BEHIND MICHIGAN PROSECUTOR TO CHAMPION PARTY IN CRUCIAL HOUSE RACE

DeBoer said the Democratic Party has lost its way and is aligning with candidates who undermine what "makes America so great."

Looking beyond her own race, DeBoer pushed back when asked whether Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate primary victory signals growing support for a progressive agenda within the Democratic Party.

"What I hear when I knock on doors, when I walk down the street, when I'm at the grocery store, people say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for being willing to step forward in a common sense way to represent our values, because quite simply, the other side is no longer representing the values of West Michigan,’" she said.

El-Sayed, a far-left progressive, narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in one of the nation's most closely watched Democratic primaries last week.

"I believe that when people truly understand what is at stake here, the very future of America and the freedoms that we have enjoyed, that I think the choice is very clear," she said.
ROGERS OPENS DOOR TO DEMOCRATIC VOTERS AFTER EL-SAYED’S PRIMARY VICTORY: ‘THERE IS STILL HOPE’

DeBoer added there is a disconnect between Scholten's "moderate" image on the campaign trail and her voting record in Congress.

"I believe the biggest point of contrast, quite frankly, is that for the last few campaign cycles she has campaigned as though she's a very moderate individual, and yet her voting record in Congress is in stark contrast to that," she said.

Scholten’s vote against the SAVE America Act and her support for "boys in girls' locker rooms, boys in our girls' sports" are examples of this contrast, according to DeBoer. Scholten voted against a bill that would ban transgender women and girls from competing on female school sports teams in January 2025, according to U.S. House voting records,

But DeBoer, who previously told Fox News Digital she considers herself an outsider in this race, said her positions are more closely aligned with voters and that she would bring "common-sense values" to Washington if elected.

Turning to the issues driving the race, DeBoer said affordability is the most pressing concern as the costs of groceries, energy, housing and healthcare rise. Her campaign website also lists securing the border, expanding healthcare choice, supporting reliable energy and reducing regulations on small businesses among her priorities.

"People are working harder than ever before and feeling like they’re falling behind everything," she said.

STEVE MOORE: POLITICIANS ARE BLAMING THE WRONG VILLAIN FOR AMERICA’S RISING FOOD PRICES

To address the higher costs, DeBoer called for cutting "reckless" federal spending and eliminating government waste, fraud and abuse "that robs all of us of the economic freedom that we have in America."

"We really need to make America affordable again," she said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Scholten's campaign for comment.

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Hawaii voters will decide Saturday who advances to the November general election, with key contests including the race for governor and the battle to represent the state’s 1st Congressional District.

Gov. Josh Green, who was first elected in 2022, is heavily favored to win the Democratic primary, where he faces three little-known competitors. His challengers include George "Teva" Lucas-Tadeo, a Democratic socialist who has promised on social media to open a government-run grocery store and legalize recreational marijuana.

David "Duke" Bourgoin is mounting his second primary challenge against Green after losing to him in 2022, when he captured only 590 votes against Green’s 158,161. He also lost two bids for Honolulu mayor, in 2022 and 2024.

JOHNSON'S STRATEGY TO BYPASS DEMOCRATS' SAVE ACT BLOCKADE SURVIVES KEY VOTE, HANDING GOP BIG WIN

Lauren Kapoliahiʻiaka Shim is also seeking the Democratic nomination. She is the CEO and founder of Aloha AI Incorporated, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Neither Lucas-Tadeo nor Shim had campaign websites, and none of Green’s three challengers had raised any money in the race as of June 30, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. Meanwhile, Green has raised approximately $3.5 million, far outpacing Republican Gary Cordery, the race’s second-highest fundraiser, who has raised about $313,000, according to Honolulu Civil Beat.

Cordery, owner of the contracting company Kingdom Builders, and Ken Fujiyama, an entrepreneur and investor, are competing for the Republican nomination and a chance to end nearly two decades of Democratic control of the governor’s mansion. The last Republican to serve as Hawaii governor was Linda Lingle, who held the office from 2002 to 2010.

Cordery has campaigned on lowering Hawaii’s high cost of living, expanding housing and cracking down on government waste and corruption. He has proposed adding 15,000 homes for working families, using state-owned land for housing and eliminating the state’s general excise tax on food and medicine. Fujiyama has also proposed a plan to tackle the housing affordability crisis by developing 100,000 residential lots and partnering with large landowners to spur growth.

MICHIGAN’S TOP ELECTION OFFICIAL WINS DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR GOVERNOR, ADVANCES TO BATTLEGROUND RACE

Whoever emerges from the Republican primary will face an uphill battle to unseat Green if he secures the Democratic nomination. Green holds a 56% approval rating, while the Cook Political Report rates the race "Likely Democrat" and gives Democrats a 13-point advantage.

Meanwhile, eyes outside of Hawaii will be locked on the Democratic primary in the 1st Congressional District, where state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole is challenging Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii.

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Case, who is seeking a seventh term, has represented the district since 2019 and argues that his seniority and position on the Appropriations Committee give Hawaii greater influence in Washington. Meanwhile, Keohokalole, who is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders' group Our Revolution, is running on a progressive platform that includes Medicare for All and opposition to ICE and President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Keohokalole is seeking to portray Case as out of touch with Democratic voters, pointing to the congressman’s vote with House Republicans to pass Trump's SAVE America Act, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

Given the district’s strong Democratic lean, whoever wins the party’s primary will likely be favored to win the seat in November.

Polls close at 7pm local time.

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The Bald Range wildfire in British Columbia, still considered "out of control", has spread to more than 36 sq miles (95 sq km).

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