Members of the United States Congress told Egyptian officials on Thursday that Egypt would not receive US aid until it began fighting weapons smuggling between Egypt and Gaza. $200 million in aid has been frozen due to the smuggling, which IDF officials say has dramatically increased Hamas’s capabilities.
The aid was frozen under a new law that also reduces US aid to Egypt from $1.3 billion to $1.1 billion per year. The law has not yet been approved by the US Senate or signed by US President George Bush.