US Approves $2.8 Billion Bomb Sale to Israel, Reviving Paused 2,000-Pound Shipment

The Trump administration is preparing to send 40,000 powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of an arms package valued at $2.8 billion, according to U.S. officials and a person familiar with the plan.

The proposed sale, which is not yet final, comprises 20,000 Mk84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs. Congress has been informally notified of the pending deal, most of which would be funded through foreign military financing — a mechanism under which U.S. taxpayer dollars are provided to Israel to purchase weapons from the United States.

The 2,000-pound bomb has several variants. Some are built to penetrate deep underground targets, while others detonate above ground and cause broad damage. The Biden administration paused one shipment of these bombs in 2024 amid concerns about mass casualties in Gaza, but the hold was lifted after Trump returned to office.

The move is the latest in a series of steps by the current administration to bolster Israel's military capacity. Last year, it bypassed the normal congressional review process to approve a nearly $3 billion sale that included more than 35,500 of the bombs. In January, it approved a fresh set of arms sales to Israel totaling $6.67 billion.

The package comes as Israel faces growing international isolation over its war in Gaza, launched in response to the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Gaza's Health Ministry says Israel's offensive has killed more than 73,264 Palestinians, including deaths recorded since a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect. Violence has continued despite the truce.

Experts who have analyzed strike footage and blast fragments recovered on-site believe U.S.-made bombs have been used in Gaza, targeting a Hamas tunnel network but also killing people in densely populated areas. The Israeli military has released few details about the bombs and artillery it has employed there.