Archive · 16 Sep 2026
Trump Administration Plans $2.8 Billion Bomb Sale to Israel
The United States is considering sending Israel 40,000 very large bombs.
The possible deal would cost about $2.8 billion and is not finished yet.
Much of the money would come from U.S. military aid used to buy American weapons.
The bombs include two types called Mk84s and BLU-117s.
Some versions can hit targets underground, while others create very large explosions.
The Biden administration once stopped a shipment because it feared many civilians in Gaza could be killed.
Donald Trump later removed that pause.
Israel says it is defending itself against Hamas and attacks on its soldiers, while critics worry the bombs could cause more civilian deaths.
Gaza health authorities say more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, though the articles give slightly different totals.
The proposed $2.8 billion package would provide Israel with 40,000 2,000-pound bombs: 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s.
The package is not final, and Congress has been informally notified; most funding would come through U.S. foreign military financing.
The Biden administration paused a shipment of the bombs in 2024 over mass-casualty concerns, but Donald Trump later lifted the hold.
Experts say U.S.-made bombs have been used in Gaza, including in densely populated areas, while some variants are designed to penetrate underground targets.
Israel says its strikes respond to Hamas’s 2023 attack, shootings at Israeli troops, and other ceasefire violations; critics cite civilian deaths and destruction in Gaza.
- Who
- The Trump administration, Israel, the United States Congress, Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and critics of the Gaza war are involved.
- What
- A proposed $2.8 billion arms package containing 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, including Mk84s and BLU-117s.
- When
- The proposal was reported Tuesday; it is not yet final. A previous shipment was paused in 2024 and later released by Trump.
- Where
- The weapons would be supplied by the United States to Israel for use amid the Gaza conflict.
- Why
- The administration describes the deal as supporting Israel’s military capacity, while critics warn that the bombs could cause mass casualties in densely populated areas.
U.S. and Israeli Position
Critics and Humanitarian Concerns
Purpose of the arms package
U.S. and Israeli Position
The Trump administration presents the sale as part of efforts to improve Israel’s military capacity. Israel says its strikes respond to Hamas’s 2023 attack, shootings at Israeli troops, and other ceasefire violations.
Critics and Humanitarian Concerns
Critics argue that supplying more 2,000-pound bombs could enable further destruction and civilian deaths in Gaza, particularly in densely populated areas.
Use of heavy bombs
U.S. and Israeli Position
Some bomb variants are designed to penetrate underground targets, including tunnel networks used by Hamas.
Critics and Humanitarian Concerns
Experts who analyzed strike footage and blast fragments believe U.S.-made bombs have also been used in populated areas, where their large explosions could cause mass casualties.
Gaza war allegations
U.S. and Israeli Position
Israel characterizes its military actions as self-defense after the Hamas-led October 2023 attack, which the articles say killed about 1,200 people and involved more than 250 hostages.
Critics and Humanitarian Concerns
The articles report that a U.S. inquiry determined Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel rejects; critics also point to the reported Palestinian death toll and continuing strikes during a fragile ceasefire.
U.S.-Israeli relations
U.S. and Israeli Position
The proposed sale and earlier arms approvals indicate that the U.S.-Israeli alliance remains close despite reported tensions between Trump and Netanyahu.
Critics and Humanitarian Concerns
Critics view the deal as occurring while Israel faces increasing international isolation over its conduct of the Gaza war.
- Proposed value
- $2.8 billion
- Weapons quantity
- 40,000 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each
- Reported breakdown
- 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s
- Additional weapons reported
- One article says the package also includes 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads
- Funding
- Mostly U.S. foreign military financing
- Congressional status
- Congress was informally notified, but the package is not final
- Earlier shipments
- The Biden administration paused one shipment in 2024; Trump later lifted the hold
- Reported death toll
- Gaza health authorities reported more than 73,000 Palestinian deaths; another article gave a figure of more than 73,264
