The Trump administration has approved a $2.8 billion arms package for Israel, a US official confirmed, marking one of the largest US munitions transfers to the country despite declining American public support.
The deal includes 40,000 one‑ton bombs, whose deployment in Gaza and Lebanon has drawn sharp international criticism over civilian casualties caused by their extensive blast radius, reports The New York Times.
Human rights groups and several foreign governments have condemned Israel’s use of the weapons in densely populated areas, where strikes aimed at single targets have sometimes killed dozens of civilians.
The package comprises 20,000 MK‑84 and 20,000 BLU‑117 bombs, each weighing 2,000 pounds, along with 20,000 I‑2000 bunker‑busting penetrator warheads designed to detonate after piercing soil, rock, or concrete. The Washington Post first reported details of the plan.
A 2,000‑pound bomb can kill at distances exceeding 1,000 feet and leave craters up to 50 feet deep. Israel faced intense backlash after dropping hundreds of such bombs on Gaza.
However, a senior administration official told AFP that “all foreign arms sales are moving through the appropriate process,” but declined to comment on pending transactions.
A State Department spokesperson likewise said, “as a matter of policy, the department does not confirm or comment on proposed arms sales until they have been formally notified to Congress.”
The deal comes amid a munitions shortage within the US military, with stocks rapidly depleted by the war with Iran and $22.3 billion spent on munitions between 28 February and 30 June.
In February 2025, the Trump administration approved more than $7.4 billion in bombs, missiles and related equipment for Israel, including MK‑84 munitions.
Responding to concerns over civilian deaths in Gaza, the Biden administration had blocked a shipment of 2,000‑pound bombs to Israel, but the Trump administration authorised them after taking office in early 2025.
