The US has withheld $130m (£94m) worth of military aid to Egypt until it takes steps on human rights.
President Joe Biden's administration released $170m of aid even as rights groups called for the blocking of the entire aid.
The US state department said the government will continue discussing human rights with Egypt and would release the rest of the aid if Egypt "addresses specific human-rights related conditions".
Rights groups have accused the US government of betraying the commitment to promote human rights.
Dozens of activists have been arrested under President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.
But Egypt has repeatedly denied accusations of human rights violations.