Trump administration plans USD 2.8 billion arms package for Israel with 40,000 heavy bombs
The Trump administration is planning to provide Israel with 40,000 2,000-pound bombs as part of a proposed USD 2.8 billion arms package, according to US officials familiar with the plan.
The package, which has not yet been finalised, includes 20,000 Mk84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, the officials said. Congress has been informally notified about the proposed deal.
Most of the package is expected to be financed through US foreign military financing, under which US funds are provided to Israel to purchase American-made weapons.
The proposed sale comes amid continuing international scrutiny of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The conflict, which began after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip.
The 2,000-pound bombs have several variants. Some are designed to penetrate underground targets, while others are capable of causing extensive damage over a wide area.
The Biden administration had paused one shipment of the bombs in 2024 over concerns about their potential use in densely populated areas of Gaza. Trump lifted the hold after returning to office.
The Trump administration last year also bypassed the normal congressional review process to approve an arms sale worth nearly USD 3 billion to Israel that included more than 35,500 of the bombs. In January, it approved another series of arms sales to Israel worth USD 6.67 billion.
Experts who have analysed strike footage and bomb fragments recovered from Gaza have said US-made heavy bombs appear to have been used in the territory. Some of the strikes were aimed at Hamas tunnel infrastructure but also caused casualties in densely populated areas.
The latest proposed package comes as a fragile ceasefire remains in place in Gaza, although Israeli strikes and militant attacks have continued.
The October 7, 2023 attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 people taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported more than 73,264 Palestinian deaths, including those recorded since the ceasefire.
