Washington Post cites pro-Palestinian group US government declared a ‘sham charity’ for terrorist organization

The Washington Post quietly edited a report Monday after it was asked about its citation of a pro-Palestinian group that the United States government had designated a "sham charity" for a terrorist organization. 

On Saturday, the Post published a story about the Palestinians who were released from Israeli custody as part of the hostage agreement made with Hamas. 

"According to Samidoun, an activist network supporting Palestinian prisoners, the group includes journalists, activists, teachers, students and close relatives of high-profile Hamas figures," the Post wrote, including a link to a Samidoun article published earlier in the week. 

Samidoun, however, was singled out by the Biden administration in October as being financially linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has been designated as a terrorist organization by numerous countries, including the U.S. and the European Union.

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The Washington Post raised eyebrows after it cited a pro-Palestinian group the Biden administration designated a "sham charity" for a terrorist organization. (Eric BARADAT / AFP)

"Today, in a joint action with Canada, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, or ‘Samidoun,’ a sham charity that serves as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization," the Treasury Department wrote in an Oct. 15 2024 press release. "The PFLP, which was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Department of State in October 1997 and October 2001, respectively, uses Samidoun to maintain fundraising operations in both Europe and North America."

"Organizations like Samidoun masquerade as charitable actors that claim to provide humanitarian support to those in need, yet in reality divert funds for much-needed assistance to support terrorist groups," said Bradley T. Smith, the then-Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. "The United States, together with Canada and our like-minded partners, will continue to disrupt those who seek to finance the PFLP, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations."

Separately, The Post article referred to the PFLP as a "small leftist armed group."

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The Treasury Department accused Samidoun as being an "international fundraiser" for the terrorist group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in October 2024.  (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

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Israeli journalist and activist Eitan Fischberger called out The Post on social media, accusing the paper of "journalistic malpractice," noting that Samidoun "has been designated as a terrorist group by the US, Canada, Germany, Israel, and the Dutch parliament."

The Post's report highlighted the release of PFLP member Khalida Jarrar but referred to the terrorist group as a "small leftist armed group." (ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Among the prisoners released and reported on in the article was Khalida Jarrar, a PFLP member accused by Israel of supporting terrorism.

Fox News Digital initially inquired about The Washington Post's citation on Monday afternoon. After an exchange with a spokesperson about a deadline for an official response regarding the newspaper's language, the Washington Post updated and added a "clarification" to the story.

"Those released include journalists, activists, teachers, students and close relatives of high-profile Hamas figures, according to Samidoun, a group supporting Palestinian prisoners that the United States says is a fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is under U.S. sanctions," the report now reads.

The "clarification" at the bottom of the report states, "A previous version of this article referred to Samidoun as an activist network that supports Palestinian prisoners. However, it failed to note that the United States says the group is an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which Washington has placed under sanctions."

A Post spokesperson later responded to Fox News Digital's initial request for comment and noted the clarification at the bottom of the article. 

Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.