The Donald Trump administration is reportedly planning to sell 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in the largest single sale of the controversial munition in recent years. The $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 of the bombs that weigh 2,000 pounds each, including 20,000 MK 84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, agencies reported, citing US officials.
News about the sale of the package was first reported by the Washington Post. It signals that some warmth may have returned in the increasingly deteriorating personal ties between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially since the two countries launched the war against Iran in February. Trump lifted that hold when he took office again. The US Congress has been informally notified about the pending deal, most of which is to be paid for with foreign military financing, in which US taxpayers’ money is given to Israel to turn around and buy the weapons from the United States. The proposed sale is just the latest in a series of Trump administration steps to improve Israel’s military capacity. A US inquiry determined that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel rejects.
The report said the deal, which would be purchased with US taxpayer dollars, also includes 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads. Israel has used these 2,000-pound bombs regularly in Gaza as well as in Lebanon, drawing scrutiny from rights experts and prompting concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza, following which the Biden administration paused its delivery two years ago. The package comes as Israel has faced increasing international isolation over its war in Gaza in response to the deadly October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas. Last year also, the Trump administration bypassed a normal congressional review process and approved a nearly $3 billion sale to Israel that included more than 35,500 of the bombs. The administration then approved a new series of arms sales to Israel totalling $6.67 billion in January. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign, according to Gaza health authorities.
