The Trump administration is preparing a $2.8 billion arms package for Israel that would include 40,000 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each, in what would be one of the largest recent US sales of the controversial munitions.
The proposed package includes 20,000 MK 84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, along with 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads, according to US officials cited by The Washington Post and Reuters. The deal has been informally communicated to relevant congressional committees but is not yet final.
What is in the weapons package?
The MK 84 and BLU-117 are both 2,000-pound general-purpose bombs. The MK 84 is an unguided weapon capable of producing a powerful blast and sending fragments over a wide area, while the BLU-117 is a closely related variant. US government documents describe both as 2,000-pound free-fall weapons.
The package is expected to be funded largely through US foreign military financing, meaning American taxpayer money would be used by Israel to purchase the weapons from the United States.
Why the bombs are controversial
The proposed transfer brings back weapons whose delivery was paused by the Biden administration in 2024 over concerns about the potential for mass casualties in Gaza. The Trump administration has since moved to resume deliveries of the 2,000-pound bombs.
Israel has used similar 2,000-pound bombs in Gaza and Lebanon, according to Reuters. Their use has drawn scrutiny from rights experts, particularly because of the scale of destruction and civilian deaths reported during the Gaza war.
Gaza war remains central to debate
The proposed sale comes as the Gaza conflict continues to shape debate over US military support for Israel. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign, according to Gaza health authorities cited by Reuters.
A UN inquiry determined that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel rejects. Israel has described its military campaign as self-defense following the October 2023 Hamas-led attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 hostages were taken, according to Reuters.
The latest package would add to a series of US arms deals with Israel under the Trump administration, further expanding the weapons available to the Israeli military.