The US State Department said it was unconditionally releasing $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt, at a time when Cairo and Washington have been working closely on a Gaza ceasefire deal.
The announcement comes as Washington has relied heavily on Cairo – a longstanding U.S. ally – to mediate so far unsuccessful talks between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza.
Of the $1.3 billion in U.S. foreign military financing allocated to Egypt, $320 million is subject to conditions that have meant at least some of that sum has been withheld in recent years.
Last year, the United States had made the release of part of this annual aid conditional on progress being made on respecting human rights in Egypt, a country where ruler Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been accused of suppressing dissent.
This year, however, the State Department said Egypt had made “progress” in certain areas of human rights. It also explicitly mentioned Cairo’s help in mediating between Israel and Palestinian armed group Hamas on the war in Gaza.
“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,” a State Department spokesman said.
The United States, Egypt, and Qatar are parties to the negotiations for the release of the hostages held by Hamas since its attack on Israel on October 7, and on the cessation of a subsequent Israeli military operation in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands.
The State Department spokesperson also spoke of Egypt’s role “in promoting a ceasefire in Sudan,” where a civil war has been raging for more than 16 months.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the budget allocation in a memo to Congress, as required by US law.
Washington regularly criticizes Egypt’s human rights record and has conditioned part of its annual military aid. Last year, Washington suspended around $95 million in aid on the grounds of human rights concerns.
Since 2022, Egyptian President Sisi has relaunched a “national dialogue” and released hundreds of political prisoners, but human rights activists say at least three times as many people have been arrested in the same period.
A key US ally, Egypt still holds tens of thousands of political prisoners, many of whom live in extremely harsh conditions, according to NGOs.
“In certifying that Egypt has fulfilled the conditions, the United States is acknowledging steps the Egyptians have already taken” on human rights, the State Department spokesperson said.
They cited draft legislation on judicial reforms and the release of more than 950 political prisoners since September 2023, among other steps.
In October 2021, the Biden administration prevented $130 million worth of military aid to Egypt due to allege human rights violations.
The funds will be released only when Cairo takes specific steps related to human rights, a State Department spokesperson said.
However, a few months later, in February 2022, the United States Government is canceled the $130 million in military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns, after approving a massive $2.5 billion arms sale to the country.
Nevertheless, in January 2022, the US State Department approved and notified Congress of a potential sale to Egypt of C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft and air defence radar systems valued at over $2.5 billion.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale, still not finalized includes a potential $2.2 billion purchase of 12 C-130J-30 Super Hercules Aircraft and related equipment as well as three SPS-48 Land-Based Radar systems and related equipment and services valued at $355 million.