Almost the entire reviewed portfolio was terminated
GAO reviewed $624 million in Economic Support Fund assistance for the West Bank and Gaza across fiscal years 2022 through 2024. The portfolio included 37 prime awards; by the review, 36 had ended and only the East Jerusalem Hospital Network award remained.
The portfolio included $67.5 million in debt relief for the hospital network. One continuing award restarted and received an additional $600,000 in September 2025. GAO reported that the reviewed assistance reached an estimated 950,000 beneficiaries.
| Measure | Count or amount | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| FY2022–24 assistance | $624M | Economic Support Fund |
| Prime awards | 37 | Portfolio total |
| Awards ended | 36 | 97.3% |
| Vetting files compliant | 32 of 32 | No exception found |
| Antiterrorism certifications with incomplete proof | 2 of 12 | Documentation gap |
The transition left safeguards and infrastructure unfinished
The State Department assumed responsibility for future assistance in July 2025, but GAO found it had not determined which components would own all future functions and had not completed replacement safeguards. Three of 37 awards lacked documentation of mandatory provisions, and two of 21 compliance reports identified noncompliance.
Terminated infrastructure awards also left an estimated 14 kilometers of roads and 18 kilometers of wastewater pipelines incomplete, according to the mission records GAO reviewed.
Strong vetting results did not eliminate control gaps
The original finding is the contrast in GAO’s evidence. All 32 sampled vetting files met requirements, yet the broader portfolio transition still lacked completed responsibility assignments and safeguards, and several award files had missing documentation.
The gaps do not establish that aid reached prohibited recipients. They show that oversight proof and replacement controls were incomplete after nearly all awards had ended, limiting accountability for any renewed program.
Method and limitations
The newsroom calculated the 97.3% termination share and organized GAO’s separate award, vetting, certification and compliance samples. Different denominators reflect different tests and should not be combined into one error rate.
GAO did not independently inspect every physical project or beneficiary. Security conditions and policy changes affected program access, and the report represents the status of safeguards during the review period.