For the first time during the current administration, the US State Department announced that “the administration of President Joe Biden has notified Congress that it will provide Egypt with military aid worth $1.3 billion, and the amount will be in full without any reduction.”
“This decision is important to advance regional peace and Egypt’s specific and ongoing contributions to U.S. national security priorities, particularly to complete a ceasefire in Gaza, return hostages to their homes, increase humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians, and help bring about a permanent end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas,” the State Department spokesman said, according to the New York Times.
The spokesman pointed out that “Washington has overlooked the human rights requirements related to Egypt, as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken informed Congress that he would suspend the condition of approving the $225 million, linked to Egypt’s human rights record, based on the interests of US national security.”
It is noteworthy that this is “the first time since 2020 that Egypt has received the full amount of aid, and of the $1.3 billion in US foreign military financing allocated to Egypt, $320 million is subject to conditions that have caused at least part of this amount to be withheld in the past few years.
Last updated: September 12, 2024 – 11:23
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2024-09-13 01:30:33