Administration plans 2,000lb bomb delivery to Israel

The Trump administration is planning to deliver powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of an upcoming arms deal, according to two US officials and a person familiar with the plan who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the package, which is not yet final.

The $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 of the bombs, made up of 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, the officials said. Congress has been informally notified about the pending deal, most of which is to be paid for with foreign military financing — in which US taxpayer dollars are given to Israel to turn around and buy the weapons from the United States.

The proposed sale is the latest in a series of Trump administration steps to improve Israel's military capacity. The weapons had prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago.

Paused delivery and subsequent lifting

In 2024, the Biden administration held off on one shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs. President Donald Trump lifted that hold when he took office again, according to the officials. Last year, the Trump administration bypassed a normal congressional review process and approved a nearly $3 billion sale to Israel that included more than 35,500 of the 2,000-pound bombs.

Context of the conflict

The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in 2023 killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive in Gaza to retaliate has killed more than 73,264 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Israel has continued to carry out strikes in the Gaza territory, including some overnight and into Tuesday that killed several people.

The package comes as Israel has faced increasing international isolation over its war in Gaza. The proposed sale, which is not yet final, is subject to change before it is formally submitted to Congress.