The U.S. State Department has approved $1.3 billion in military financing for Egypt this year, despite calls from lawmakers to withhold a portion due to ongoing concerns over human rights violations, according to Bloomberg.
The announcement comes as Washington increasingly relies on Cairo, a long-standing U.S. ally, to mediate the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
Egypt, along with Qatar, has played a key role in facilitating talks with Hamas, a group the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization, to bring about a cease-fire and secure the release of Israeli hostages.
Egypt’s internal challenges also play a role in this decision. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is managing the aftermath of an economic crisis, which led to a $57 billion international bailout led by the International Monetary Fund and the UAE.
Meanwhile, the country remains a crucial U.S. ally in maintaining stability across the Middle East and North Africa, bordered by Gaza and Israel to the east and Sudan’s civil war to the south.
Despite pressure from a group of senators led by Democrat Chris Van Hollen, who urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to withhold $320 million in aid due to Egypt’s deteriorating human rights situation, the State Department chose to proceed.
Blinken waived conditions on $225 million over broad human rights issues, citing national security grounds, and released $95 million tied to political prisoner releases and due process, as he determined Cairo had met these specific conditions.
