A sudden halt to U.S. foreign aid by the Trump administration has been clarified in a memo stating that this suspension does not affect weapons support to Israel and Egypt, nor emergency food assistance. This memo was issued to various bureaus and U.S. missions overseas on Friday.
On the same day, the White House authorized the Pentagon to proceed with a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, which had been previously halted by President Biden last summer. This decision was made in an attempt to discourage the Israeli military from extensive bombing in the city of Rafah, although Israeli forces continued their operations.
The shipment includes 1,800 MK-84 bombs, which U.S. military officials consider excessively lethal for urban combat. Prior to the halt, the Biden administration had been supplying these bombs to Israel amid its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
The memo, issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlines the execution of an executive order that halts foreign aid for a 90-day reassessment period. President Trump signed this order shortly after his inauguration.
According to the memo, employees involved in foreign aid are instructed to refrain from designating new funding, accepting applications, and to issue “stop-work” orders to organizations that have received grants. This directive has caused concern among global organizations that depend on U.S. foreign aid for various programs, including disease prevention and climate change mitigation.
Some organizations have indicated they may need to cease operations immediately, resulting in employee layoffs or salary suspensions.
The State Department also manages military aid to allies and partner nations. Notably, the memo explicitly exempts Israel and Egypt from the foreign aid halt, including salaries for personnel managing that aid. Both countries receive foreign military financing, which allows them to purchase U.S. weapons and military equipment.
The suspension of foreign aid impacts military assistance to Ukraine, Taiwan, Lebanon, and other partner nations, including NATO members. Much of the urgent aid for Ukraine has already been dispatched amid its ongoing conflict with Russia. The Biden administration had anticipated that Trump would seek to halt arms aid to Ukraine, given his previous skepticism.
Military support for Israel has become a contentious issue in the U.S., especially following Israel's military actions in Gaza since the Hamas attack in October 2023. Former President Biden approved $26 billion in military aid to Israel in response to the conflict, while Trump has expressed intentions to continue supporting Israel.
Some lawmakers, particularly from the Democratic Party, have criticized the longstanding U.S. arms aid to Egypt. Last year, Congress approved $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt, with $320 million contingent on a State Department review of Egypt's human rights practices. Despite ongoing criticism, Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the full amount last September.
The memo also mandates the establishment of a central repository for all U.S. foreign aid, requiring that all aid be reviewed and approved by Rubio or his designated officials to ensure alignment with U.S. foreign policy.
Additionally, the memo states that the director of the office of policy planning will develop guidelines for reviewing all foreign aid within 30 days. This director, Michael Anton, previously worked on the National Security Council during the first Trump administration and is known for advocating significant changes to conservative policies.