US shifts some military aid to Lebanon from Egypt, letter says

8/1/2025 7:11

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration will divert $95 million in military aid allocated for Egypt to Lebanon, which faces threats from Hezbollah and other non-state actors and is enforcing a ceasefire with Israel, according to a document seen by Reuters on Monday.



The State Department notification to Congress of the planned shift calls the Lebanese armed forces "a key partner" in upholding the Nov. 27, 2024, Israel-Lebanon agreement to cease hostilities and to prevent Hezbollah from threatening Israel.



The move comes after some of Biden's fellow Democrats in Congress expressed deep concerns about Egypt's human rights record, particularly the arrests of thousands of political prisoners.



In response to questions about the reprogrammed funding, a State Department spokesperson said the department was still moving forward with foreign military financing for Egypt and said the assessment that Cairo had made progress on political prisoners had not changed.



The Egyptian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.