Trump Administration Plans Massive Bomb Sale to Israel

The Trump administration is preparing a significant arms deal worth $2.8 billion, which includes the largest delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in recent years. An official U.S. source told The Washington Post that the package will be funded by American taxpayers and comprises 40,000 bombs, including 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, along with 20,000 I-2000 bunker-buster warheads. These bombs are considered highly destructive and are widely used in Gaza and Lebanon. Trevor Ball, a former bomb disposal expert in the U.S. Army, stated, "If Hezbollah is inside a structure, an MK-84 bomb will bring down the entire building." The Biden administration had previously halted a shipment of these bombs in spring 2024 due to concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza, but President Trump reversed this decision upon returning to office in January 2025.

The promotion of this current deal proceeds despite growing tensions between the Trump administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These tensions stem from military operations in Lebanon and Syria, the rejection of Trump's peace plan for Gaza, and sharp criticism from Netanyahu's circle regarding Washington's efforts to promote a deal to end the war in Iran. Brian Finnegan, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, commented, "If the Trump administration's goal is to calm the Middle East, the timing here is unusual and signals a vote of confidence in Israel."

The administration has informally updated congressional committees on the deal and is pressing the chairs of the Senate and House Foreign Affairs committees to approve it. However, the move is expected to face opposition. In July, over 100 Democratic members of Congress voted to halt all aid to Israel. Within the Republican Party, which generally supports Israel, voices of prominent conservative commentators questioning continued annual security assistance of $3.8 billion are also growing. A senior administration official declined to comment on the report's details, stating, "All foreign arms sales undergo the standard process; we do not comment on pending deals." The Israeli embassy did not provide a response.