US said planning $2.8 billion in munitions sales to Israel, including 2,000-lb bombs

The United States government plans to sell Israel 40,000 bombs, each weighing 2,000 pounds, in a $2.8 billion transaction funded by U.S. taxpayer funds, according to a report from The Washington Post. The bombs, consisting of half MK-84 "hammer" bombs and the other half BLU-117 "bunker buster" variant, are among the most potent munitions in Western arsenals.

The sale is anticipated to be the largest arms deal between the two nations in recent memory, surpassing previous transactions like the $2 billion deal in 2025 that circumvented Congress. Israeli forces have reportedly utilized these bombs in civilian areas of Gaza, creating craters up to 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter. Former U.S. Army explosive-ordnance-disposal technician Trevor Ball stated that Israeli forces prefer using MK-84 bombs to target buildings, suggesting that such strikes result in significant destruction.

The Israeli military has denied allegations in the investigative documentary "NAZA" that they planned and approved a strike resulting in 500 civilian deaths, asserting that no credible claims were made during the conflict regarding such high civilian casualties. In 2024, an exposé in +972 Magazine and Local Call, co-directed by Yuval Avraham, cited Israeli military sources alleging that unguided MK-84 bombs were used in strikes on junior Hamas fighters, leading to the anticipated collateral damage of 15-20 civilian deaths.

A U.S. official reportedly withheld supplies of MK-84 and MK-82 bombs due to concerns that Israeli forces might employ them in Rafah, Gaza's southern city, potentially causing mass civilian casualties. Consequently, Elbit Systems, an Israeli military contractor, received a $492 million order from Israel to construct a munitions plant to address supply issues.