Washington (Agencies): The United States plans to divert $95 million in military aid originally allocated to Egypt to Lebanon, citing regional security concerns and human rights issues in Egypt, according to a report by Reuters. The State Department’s notification to Congress names the Lebanese armed forces as a key partner in upholding the November 27, 2024, Israel-Lebanon agreement to cease hostilities and prevent Hezbollah from threatening Israel.
The decision follows concerns expressed by some of President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats about Egypt’s human rights record, particularly the arrest of thousands of political prisoners. The contents of the document remain unconfirmed, and neither the State Department nor the Egyptian embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for comment.
In September, the Biden administration had overridden human rights conditions on military aid to Egypt to grant Cairo a full allocation of $1.3 billion, which included $95 million tied specifically to progress on the release of political prisoners. The recent notification reportedly did not specify that the $95 million was those funds, but a congressional aide suggested that the amount was not a coincidence.