US cites Egypt's help in Gaza as Washington sends full military aid despite human rights concerns

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is sending Egypt its full $1.3 billion allocation of military aid, setting aside conditions placed by Congress on some of the money over human rights concerns and citing Cairo’s role as a mediator in the Israel-Hamas war.

The State Department said Secretary of State Antony Blinken used his authority to waive those conditions on $225 million, saying the move is important for Mideast stability and Egypt’s ability to help with U.S. national security priorities, including trying to broker a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza and increasing humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in the territory.

Blinken also told Congress this week that Egypt has made progress in freeing political prisoners and preventing Americans from being harassed, meeting benchmarks to gain $95 million in assistance.

“The United States is also continuing a rigorous dialogue with the Egyptian government on the importance of concrete human rights improvements that are crucial to sustaining the strongest possible U.S.-Egypt partnership,” the State Department said.

The decision shows the weight given to Egypt’s role as a key mediator in a conflict that threatens to expand into a regionwide war and pose risks to the U.S., even as allegations persist that President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s government is behind a litany of human rights abuses.

The State Department and rights groups have said those allegations include numerous credible reports of arbitrary killings, torture and detention as well as systematic repression of civil society, free press and free expression. The U.S. withheld $85 million last year from the Egyptian government and $130 million in 2022.

Human Rights Watch says el-Sissi’s administration has released hundreds of detainees but has arrested many more, and that thousands journalists, activists and others are still behind bars.

Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Chris Murphy of Connecticut decried the release of the millions of dollars, saying Egypt has failed to make progress.

“Over the last year, for every single political prisoner Egypt has released, it has jailed two more,” they said in a statement. “That’s not clear and consistent progress — it’s one step forward and two steps back.”

Murphy, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee with oversight of the Mideast, said the U.S. has been able to maintain strategic ties with Egypt when withholding money before over human rights concerns. He said he saw no reason for the change now when “it’s no secret that Egypt remains a deeply repressive autocratic state.”

The State Department points to steps that Egypt has taken, including releasing over 950 political prisoners since September 2023 and moving forward with a proposal to reform pretrial detention. But the department said it made clear to Egyptian officials that “more action is needed.”

El-Sissi has previously denied that his country has political prisoners and he justified government measures by saying they are needed to fight the spread of terrorism.