The US will soon send 40,000 powerful bombs to Israel, which is part of a $2.8 billion arms deal. This agreement includes Mk84 and BLU-117 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). Two US officials and a source familiar with the plan, who requested to remain anonymous, have confirmed this information.
Concerns about human casualties
This type of weaponry has raised significant concerns about the possibility of widespread casualties in Gaza. Two years ago, the Biden administration had suspended the delivery of these weapons, but this restriction was lifted with Trump’s return to the White House. Congress has been informally informed about the ongoing agreement, part of which will be funded using foreign military aid. This means that American tax dollars are being given to Israel to purchase weapons from the US.
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Background and military dimensions
This new agreement is the latest in a series of actions taken during Trump's presidency to strengthen Israel's military capacity. Currently, the conflicts in Gaza have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and have severely impacted the humanitarian situation in the region. While the United States has managed to establish a fragile ceasefire between the parties, violence continues.
This arms package is announced at a time when Israel faces increasing international isolation due to its war in Gaza. This war began particularly after the deadly Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. This sale indicates that despite reported tensions between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, military relations between the US and Israel have not significantly weakened.
The two countries have been engaged in a war against Iran since last February, and Trump had expressed his dissatisfaction with Netanyahu over Iran-related issues before his recent meeting with him in July. Last year, the Trump administration bypassed the normal congressional review process and approved the sale of nearly $3 billion worth of weapons to Israel. This sale included over 35,500 bombs, and then in January, a new series of arms sales to Israel worth $6.67 billion was approved.
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