Bayader Association for Environment and Development (Bayader) is a Hamas-linked Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO) that operates in the Gaza Strip. Bayader officials are closely linked to Hamas, and the organization has publicly advertised its connection with Hamas-run ministries in the Gaza Strip. ¹

Between 2016 and April 2024, Bayader reportedly received nearly $1 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). ¹

Activities and Connections to Hamas

The Bayader Association for Environment and Development is a Palestinian nonprofit and nongovernmental organization focused on the city of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, a territory controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas. Bayader was founded on January 1, 2007. ^{2 3}

The organization states it desires to implement development programs to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by accomplishing four strategic objectives. The first objective is to reduce poverty through increasing youth participation in community development and developing modern farming methods. The second objective is to support early childhood development through mental health services, development opportunities, and education. The third objective is to promote democracy and human rights by rejecting violence and spreading “democratic” principles among women and children. The fourth objective is to provide emergency response for those impacted by disasters and war. ³

Bayader also promotes humanitarian projects on its website, including projects run by other organizations through Bayader. For example, Bayader worked on the Gaza Vision 2020 program implemented by Catholic Relief Services with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development to improve the material well-being of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. ⁴

Despite claiming to support nonviolence, the Middle East Forum alleges that Bayader is reportedly in “close cooperation with [the] Hamas regime.” In a report in the Middle East Forum’s Focus on Western Islamism project, director of Islamist Watch Sam Westrop wrote that Bayader officials are regularly seen in the company of Hamas terrorists, that Hamas’s Ministry of Public Works publicly supports Bayader’s work to build public infrastructure, that Bayader advertised on Hamas media outlets, that Bayader officials openly support terrorism, that Bayader has links to the son of the leader of Hamas, and that Bayader stated in an annual report that it conducts “coordination” and “meetings” with multiple Hamas ministries, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Social Affairs, and Ministry of Agriculture. ¹

USAID Controversy

Bayader Association for Environment and Development received over $900,000 from the U.S. Agency for International Development between 2016 and April 2024. Bayader even reportedly received a USAID grant of $15,219 on October 1, 2023, less than a week before the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which Hamas murdered early 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds of hostages. ^{1 5}

USAID reportedly funneled funds to Bayader as a sub-grantee of other major nonprofit organizations, including Catholic Relief Services, Global Communities, and the International Medical Corps. ¹

Other Funders

Bayader has also partnered with Islamic Relief Worldwide, Islamic Relief Sweden, Islamic Relief Netherlands, Islamic Relief Canada, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), and Human Appeal, and has received funding from the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Union, and the governments of the United Kingdom, Japan, Belgium, and Sweden. ¹

1. Westrop, Sam. “USAID Hands Almost $1 Million to Hamas Charity in Gaza Linked to Son of Terror Leader Ismail Haniyeh.” Focus on Western Islamism. April 4, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2025.   https://islamism.news/research/investigations/usaid-hands-almost-1-million-to-hamas-charity-in-gaza-linked-to-son-of-terror-leader-ismail-haniyeh/.
2. “Bayader Association for Environment and Development.” Devex. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.devex.com/organizations/bayader-association-for-environment-and-development-161566.
3. “For the Association.” Bayader for Environment & Development Association. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://bayader.ps/page/1.
4. “Gaza Vision 2020 Program.” Bayader For Environment & Development Association. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://bayader.ps/project/47/%C2%A0%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AC-%D8%B1%D8%A4%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9-2020.
5. Vincent, Isabel. “USAID gave nearly $1M to Gaza charity tied to Hamas, up to six days before Oct. 7 attack on Israel.” New York Post. April 9, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://nypost.com/2024/04/09/world-news/hamas-linked-charity-got-big-money-from-us-on-eve-of-oct-7/.