US plans $2.8 billion Israel arms package with 40,000 heavy bombs

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is preparing a proposed $2.8 billion arms package for Israel that would include 40,000 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each, according to US officials and reports by Reuters and The Washington Post.

The proposed package includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, along with 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads, according to the reports. The plan has been informally presented to relevant congressional committees, but the sale has not yet received final approval.

If approved, the deal would represent one of the largest proposed transfers of 2,000-pound munitions to Israel in recent years. The size of the package is also larger than previous US sales of similar weapons to Israel during the Biden and Trump administrations.

The MK-84 is a large general-purpose bomb capable of causing extensive blast and fragmentation effects. Some variants of the weapons included in the proposed package are designed to strike hardened or underground targets, while others are intended for conventional targets.

The planned transfer has drawn attention because similar US-made bombs have been used by Israel during fighting in Gaza and Lebanon. The Washington Post reported that experts analyzing strike footage and fragments have identified evidence of US-made heavy munitions being used in Gaza, including in densely populated areas.

The weapons also have a recent history in US policy toward Israel. In 2024, the Biden administration temporarily paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs over concerns about potential civilian casualties in Gaza. President Donald Trump reversed that hold after returning to office in January 2025.

The proposed package is being considered amid continuing fighting and diplomatic tensions across the Middle East. The latest reports indicate that the transaction remains subject to the US approval process, meaning its final size, contents and delivery arrangements could still change.

A senior Trump administration official told The Washington Post that foreign arms sales were moving through the appropriate process but declined to comment specifically on the pending deal.

The proposed sale is therefore likely to receive close attention in Congress as lawmakers consider both the military requirements cited by the administration and concerns surrounding the use of heavy munitions in populated areas.