The Trump administration is preparing to supply 2,000-pound munitions to Israel under a suspended international military agreement. These weapons, which had previously been halted by the Biden administration due to serious concerns about the potential for widespread civilian casualties in Gaza, are now being made available.
Details of the Arms Deal
The proposed agreement, valued at $2.8 billion, includes 40,000 munitions, evenly split between 20,000 Mk84 and 20,000 BLU-117. U.S. officials and a source familiar with the agreement provided details of the transfer without disclosing their names. This arms deal has been informally notified to Congress, and most of the cost of this purchase will be funded through foreign military financing. This framework allows American taxpayers to fund defense assistance that Israel will then use to purchase heavy weapons directly from U.S. defense contractors.
Read more: U.S. Democracy Hits Lowest Level in 50 Years
Human and Military Impacts
This transfer represents the Trump administration's latest effort to bolster the overall operational capabilities of the Israeli armed forces. The ongoing war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and the destruction of large parts of Gaza, while sporadic violence continues despite a fragile ceasefire that has been brokered by the United States.
The new arms package comes as Israel faces increasing diplomatic isolation globally. This isolation relates to Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which began after Hamas's deadly attacks on October 7, 2023. In these attacks, nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Israel's subsequent military response has resulted in the deaths of over 73,264 Palestinians in Gaza.
While the Biden administration halted a specific shipment of heavy bombs in 2024 due to casualty concerns, Trump immediately lifted these restrictions upon taking office in his new term. Last year, the Trump administration approved a $3 billion arms deal for Israel, bypassing standard congressional review mechanisms, which included over 35,500 heavy bombs.
The 2,000-pound bombs included in the upcoming agreement are produced in various technical configurations; some are specifically designed to penetrate deep underground structures, while others explode at ground level, causing widespread and heavy destruction. Although the Israeli military typically does not disclose specific details about the types of weapons used in Gaza, arms experts analyzing footage of attacks and debris believe that U.S.-made heavy bombs have been used against Hamas's underground tunnels.
While large-scale military operations have decreased since the fragile ceasefire began in October, Israeli forces continue their attacks in the area. These attacks include nighttime raids on Tuesday that have resulted in several deaths. These military actions have occurred despite recent discussions in which Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and Middle East negotiator, urged Netanyahu to scale back military operations and adhere to the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli military officials emphasize that their ongoing attacks are direct defensive responses to repeated ceasefire violations, including shooting attacks carried out by Palestinian militants against Israeli forces stationed in the territory.
Read more: Hashim Thaqi Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for War Crimes · Trump Teams Up with Michael Watley in North Carolina Campaign
Source: independent.co.uk
