The Trump administration is planning a $2.8 billion arms package for Israel that would include 40,000 powerful 2,000lb bombs, weapons that were previously withheld by the Biden administration over concerns about their potential to cause mass casualties in Gaza.The proposed deal includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117s, according to US officials and a person familiar with the plan cited by The Guardian and Reuters. The package has not yet been finalised, but congressional committees have been informally notified about the proposed sale.Most of the package would reportedly be financed through US foreign military financing, under which US taxpayer funds are provided to Israel to purchase American-made weapons.The planned sale comes as Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 people taken hostage. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 73,264 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive, including those killed after the latest ceasefire took effect.
Bombs once held back by Biden
The proposed deal marks another step by the Trump administration to expand Israel’s access to US military equipment. In 2024, the Biden administration paused one shipment of MK-84 bombs over concerns about their use in densely populated areas of Gaza.Trump lifted that hold after returning to office in 2025. Last year, his administration also bypassed the normal congressional review process to approve a nearly $3 billion arms sale to Israel that included more than 35,500 of the 2,000lb bombs. In January, it approved another series of arms sales worth $6.67 billion.The 2,000lb bombs have several variants. Some are designed to penetrate underground targets, while others are intended for above-ground use and can cause extensive damage.Experts have previously linked US-made bombs to strikes in Gaza. Analysis of strike footage and blast fragments has indicated that such weapons were used against targets including suspected Hamas tunnel networks, while also causing deaths in densely populated areas.Trevor Ball, a former US Army explosive-ordnance-disposal technician who studies civilian harm caused by weapons, told The Washington Post that Israeli forces use MK-84 bombs to destroy entire buildings when targeting suspected militants.“If Hezbollah or whoever is in a building, an MK-84 will bring down the whole building,” Ball said.
Deal comes amid continued Gaza strikes
The proposed sale comes despite a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which has been violated repeatedly. Israel has continued carrying out strikes in the territory, including attacks overnight and into Tuesday that reportedly killed several people.Israel says its strikes are responses to shooting attacks by militants and other ceasefire violations. The conflict has also contributed to growing international pressure on Israel over its conduct of the war.Reuters reported that US public support for Israel has declined since the Gaza war began, particularly among Democrats. A June Quinnipiac University poll found that 48% of voters and 66% of Democrats believed the US was too supportive of Israel, compared with 16% and 20%, respectively, when the question was first asked in 2017.Israel has maintained that its military actions are self-defence following the October 7 attack. A UN inquiry has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel rejects.
