WASHINGTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The Biden administration

on Wednesday notified the U.S. Congress that it will provide

Egypt with $1.3 billion in military aid, a State Department

spokesperson said, the first time since 2020 Egypt will receive

the total amount of U.S. funding despite human rights

conditions.

The announcement comes as Washington has relied heavily on

Cairo - a longstanding U.S. ally - to mediate so far

unsuccessful talks between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire deal

to end the war in Gaza.

Of the $1.3 billion in U.S. foreign military financing

allocated to Egypt, $320 million is subject to conditions that

have meant at least some of that sum has been withheld in recent

years.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress on Wednesday

that he would waived a certification requirement on $225 million

related to Egypt's human rights record this year citing "the

U.S. national security interest," the spokesperson said by

email.

"This decision is important to advancing regional peace and

Egypt's specific and ongoing contributions to U.S. national

security priorities, particularly to finalize a ceasefire

agreement for Gaza, bring the hostages home, surge humanitarian

assistance for Palestinians in need, and help bring an enduring

end to the Israel-Hamas conflict," the spokesperson said.

Blinken issued a similar same waiver on the human rights

conditions last year but withheld a portion of the military aid

over Egypt's failure to make "clear and consistent progress" on

the release of political prisoners.

This year, Blinken determined that Egypt had made sufficient

efforts on political prisoners to release $95 million tied to

progress on the issue, the spokesperson said.