Trump administration approves sending powerful bombs to Israel in $2.8 billion weapons sale
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Trump administration is planning to deliver powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of an upcoming arms deal, weapons that
The Trump administration has approved a $2.8 billion arms deal to deliver 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, according to two U.S. officials and a familiar source. The package includes 40,000 of the bombs, consisting of 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s. This follows a pause in 2022 due to concerns about potential mass casualties in Gaza.
Most of the deal will be covered by foreign military financing, with U.S. taxpayer dollars funding the purchase of the weapons. This move is part of a broader effort to bolster Israeli military capabilities, especially after the ongoing conflict in Gaza that has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths. The Biden administration initially held off on one shipment of the bombs, but lifted the hold when Donald Trump returned to office.
The administration had also approved a nearly $3 billion package to Israel in 2023 and a $6.67 billion series of arms sales in January 2024. The 2,000-pound bombs come in multiple variants, some designed to penetrate deep targets and others to cause widespread damage above ground. While details about Israel's use of these bombs in Gaza remain scarce, experts believe the U.S.-made weapons have been used, targeting Hamas' tunnel network and causing civilian casualties in densely populated areas.
The conflict in Gaza has been devastating, with Israel's offensive resulting in over 73,264 Palestinian deaths, as reported by Gaza's Health Ministry.
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