At a time when Israel is engaged in a campaign in Gaza—facing accusations of genocide and plans to occupy Palestinian territory and displace Palestinians from their land—the administration of US President Donald Trump is planning to sell them 2,000-pound bombs. The plan involves the sale of 40,000 such bombs, marking the largest single sale of this controversial type of weapon in recent years. Citing US officials, various media outlets—including NDTV—report that the $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each; specifically, 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs. The Washington Post first broke the news of the sale, noting that the package also includes 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads.
The MK-84 is one of the most destructive bombs in Western military arsenals. Upon detonation, it scatters metal fragments over a radius of thousands of feet and is capable of penetrating both metal and thick concrete. The bomb is so powerful that it often creates massive craters in the ground. Israel has regularly used these 2,000-pound bombs in both Gaza and Lebanon, sparking significant concern among human rights experts. The administration of then-President Joe Biden had previously suspended the supply of these bombs two years ago due to fears of mass casualties in Gaza; however, Donald Trump lifted that suspension after assuming the presidency.
Trump-Netanyahu Relationship: News of this arms sale plan has emerged at a time when Israel is facing increasing international isolation over the war in Gaza. Israel has been conducting continuous military operations in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The US Congress has been informally notified of the proposed arms sale. The majority of the funding for the package will come from the Foreign Military Financing program. Under this arrangement, US taxpayer money is provided to Israel, which Israel can then use to purchase weapons from the United States itself.
This proposed arms sale is the latest in a series of measures taken by the Donald Trump administration to bolster Israel’s military capabilities. At the same time, it raises the question of whether the personal relationship between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—which had been deteriorating—is warming up again. Their relationship has been a subject of discussion, particularly since the two nations began a conflict against Iran in February.
Last year, the Trump administration bypassed the standard Congressional review process to approve the sale of approximately $3 billion worth of weapons to Israel. That package included over 35,500 bombs. Subsequently, in January, the administration approved new arms sales to Israel totaling $6.67 billion.
The Israeli military has released very little information regarding the types of bombs and munitions used in Gaza. However, experts analyzing footage of the attacks and debris from exploded bombs recovered at the scene believe that US-made bombs were employed. Although these bombs targeted tunnel networks used by Hamas, experts noted that civilians were also killed due to strikes in densely populated areas.
The most intense fighting in Gaza has subsided somewhat since a fragile ceasefire took effect in October; however, Israel continues to carry out attacks in the region. Earlier, Jared Kushner—Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a key Middle East negotiator—met with Netanyahu last month. That meeting was part of an effort to advance a ceasefire agreement, during which Kushner also urged Israel to scale back its attacks.
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According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations. A US investigation concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel has rejected. According to Israel, it launched a military operation in self-defense after Hamas-led fighters carried out an attack in October 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.
