Former President Donald Trump has accused the Biden administration of indirectly financing recent Hamas attacks on Israel through a controversial prisoner swap deal that released Iranian funds.

In a statement, Trump asserted that “American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks,” citing “many reports” that attribute the funds to “the Biden administration.”

Other Republicans, including GOP primary contender Ron DeSantis, have suggested that Hamas felt emboldened due to Biden’s purported leniency toward Iran, ultimately leading to Israel “paying the price,” the Telegraph reported.

Criticism has been mounting against President Biden for his recent decision to engage in a prisoner exchange with Iran.

This exchange led to the release of five Americans in exchange for five Iranian detainees and the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets.

Notably, this significant event unfolded just one month ago.

Iran’s Supreme Leader himself has stirred speculation, suggesting Iran’s potential involvement in the attacks by expressing support for Hamas online four days ago.

The usurper regime is coming to an end. Today, the Palestinian youth and the anti-oppression, anti-occupation movement in Palestine is more energetic, more alive, and more prepared than ever during the past 70 or 80 years. God willing, the movement will achieve its goals.

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) October 3, 2023

“The usurper regime is coming to an end,” he said.

“Today, the Palestinian youth and the anti-oppression, anti-occupation movement in Palestine is more energetic, more alive, and more prepared than ever during the past 70 or 80 years.

“God willing, the movement will achieve its goals.”

While Iran is supposedly restricted to using these funds solely for humanitarian purposes under the terms of the deal, Republicans argue that the exchange indirectly contributes to increased funding for Hamas terrorist activities in Israel.

Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy accused the U.S. administration of knowingly supporting Hamas.

He stated, “America’s broken foreign policy establishment knew they were funding Hamas and went ahead with it anyway.” He also criticized the $6 billion ransom paid to Iran, emphasizing that “our taxpayer dollars are funding Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah,” pledging that this would change during his potential future presidency.

In response to the recent attacks and the escalating situation, President Biden, along with his defense secretary and secretary of state, issued statements condemning the attacks. They pledged to provide all necessary support to Israel and affirmed the country’s right to self-defense.

However, critics from the Republican party have decried the Biden administration’s Middle East policy as too lenient toward Iran.

Senior figures within the Iranian regime welcomed Hamas’s attacks on Israel, with military adviser Yahya Rahim Safavi stating, “We congratulate the Palestinian fighters” and pledging support until the “liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.”

In his statement, Trump criticized Biden for undermining peace in the Middle East during his two-and-a-half-year presidency. He deemed the Hamas attacks a “disgrace” and affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself with “overwhelming force.” He expressed regret that “American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks.”

Cory Mills, a Republican congressman and Trump ally, asserted that the attacks “would not be happening if President Trump were in office.”

Following the Iranian prisoner swap, State Department spokesman Matt Miller defended the decision as a “tough choice” driven by the necessity to secure the release of American citizens held in Iran.

He emphasized that “Iran is not going to release these American citizens out of the goodness of their heart” and clarified that the unfrozen funds were held by a third-party bank in Qatar and earmarked for humanitarian purposes only.