US Plans $2.8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel, Including Heavy Bombs

The U.S. administration is planning to sell Israel a package of munitions valued at $2.8 billion, which includes 40,000 two-thousand-pound bombs, according to a U.S. official familiar with the deal. The package reportedly comprises 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs. Congressional committees have been informally notified of the pending sale, which has not yet been finalized.

These bombs are classified as heavy aerial munitions, and their use in populated areas has drawn criticism from experts and human rights organizations due to their extensive destructive capabilities. Reports indicate that Israel has used such bombs in Gaza and Lebanon. This proposed sale follows a halt on a shipment of two-thousand-pound bombs by the Biden administration in 2024, which was later lifted by the Trump administration upon its return to power. The Trump administration has also approved other arms deals with Israel.

The new deal is under discussion amid ongoing debate about the use of heavy munitions in populated areas. Neither the U.S. State Department nor the Israeli Embassy immediately commented on the deal, according to Reuters.

In a related development, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated that American foreign policy in the Middle East should not be subordinate to Israel. He emphasized that Washington will cooperate with Israel when interests align and diverge when they do not, prioritizing American interests. Vance suggested that former President Trump demonstrated a willingness to diverge from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when U.S. interests did not align with those of the Israeli government, calling him possibly the only president in the last four decades to show such readiness.

Vance's remarks coincide with continued close security ties between Washington and Tel Aviv, alongside areas of policy disagreement, highlighting the U.S. administration's assertion that partnership with Israel does not equate to identical stances on all issues.