The Biden administration is overriding human rights conditions on military aid to Egypt, according to a State Department spokesperson, granting the full $1.3 billion allocation for the first time during this administration, Reuters reported.
The announcement, which was made on Wednesday, comes as Washington has heavily depended on Cairo to mediate negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Of the $1.3 billion in US foreign military funding allocated to Egypt, $320 million is subject to conditions related to human rights concerns, resulting in the withholding of at least part of that amount in recent years.
However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Congress on Wednesday that he would waive the certification requirement for $225 million tied to Egypt's human rights record, citing "the US national security interest," the spokesperson said in an email.
“This decision is important to advancing regional peace and Egypt’s specific and ongoing contributions to US national security priorities, particularly to finalize a ceasefire agreement for Gaza, bring the hostages home, surge humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in need, and help bring an enduring end to the Israel-Hamas conflict," the spokesperson said.
Last year, the United States approved most military assistance to Egypt despite persistent concern over human rights, with the State Department stressing that Cairo has been helpful on several hotspots.
At the same time, Blinken withheld a separate $85 million that required certification that Egypt is making progress releasing political prisoners. This year, Blinken determined that Egypt had made enough progress in this area to release $95 million, which was tied to the issue, the spokesperson said.
In 2022, the Biden administration cancelled $130 million in military aid to Egypt, saying it had not met the conditions to receive the financing. Later that year, officials said that the Biden administration would withhold $130 million in assistance to Egypt over its failure to meet certain human rights requirements.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Middle East subcommittee, pointed out on Wednesday that Washington had previously withheld military aid from Egypt due to human rights violations, while still maintaining its strategic relationship with the country.
"It's no secret that Egypt remains a deeply repressive autocratic state, and I see no good reason to ignore that fact by waiving these requirements," Murphy stated, according to Reuters.
US-Egypt ties were strained under the Obama administration, which suspended American military aid to Egypt following the 2013 ouster of former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, before releasing it two years later.
Following the election of Donald Trump, however, ties improved. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi praised Trump after his election and said he expected greater engagement in the Middle East from his administration.
In 2021, the Biden administration called Egypt a "constructive" defense partner despite concerns on human rights.