US Releases $1.3 Billion in Military Aid to Egypt

The US State Department said Thursday 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.

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.

https://thedefensepost.com/2024/09/13/us-military-aid-egypt/