Committee proposes freezing Egyptian aid
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- A U.S. congressional committee proposed freezing $200 million in aid to Egypt for failing to prevent cross-border weapons smuggling into Gaza.
Egyptian officials visiting Washington, however, circulated documents to U.S. officials suggesting that Israeli military forces are permitting military equipment to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip, Haaretz reported.
The Egyptian delegation accuses Israeli soldiers of cooperating with arms smugglers, though Israel counters that Egypt isn't doing enough to deter weapons from entering the Gaza Strip.
The official reason for freezing the funds in the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee's proposal was Egypt's human rights record. The arms issue was listed among various other reasons, Haaretz reported.
The U.S. Senate draft version of the Egyptian aid package doesn't mention the $200 million in frozen aid.
Israel alleges that Hamas militants received advanced training in foreign countries and are preparing to establish a "terrorist state" in the Gaza Strip. Intelligence officials in Israel note that several tons of explosives enter the Gaza Strip illegally each month.
المصدر
يبدو ان سبب اقتراح الكونجرس بوقف المعونة الأمريكية تماما عن مصر هو استمرار تدفق الأسلحة من سيناء الي غزة برعاية الأمن المصري