President Donald Trump's administration is preparing to sell $2.8 billion worth of weapons to Israel, including 40,000 bombs each weighing 2,000 pounds or about 907 kilograms. Most of the funding comes from U.S. military aid. This sale plan emerges amid concerns over civilian impacts in the Gaza Strip and congressional pressure regarding military support to Israel.
According to reports by the Associated Press and The Washington Post, the U.S. government under President Donald Trump is preparing to sell $2.8 billion worth of weapons, about 93.1 billion baht, to Israel. The package includes 40,000 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (approximately 907 kilograms) each, making it one of the largest sales of such weapons in recent years.
Two U.S. officials and a knowledgeable source revealed that the package includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs, 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, and 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads. The agreement is not yet final and has been informally notified to relevant U.S. congressional committees.
Most of the weapon procurement will be funded through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, a mechanism by which the U.S. government allocates money to foreign countries. Israel then uses these funds to purchase weapons from U.S. manufacturers. Effectively, the money comes from the U.S. budget.
The 2,000-pound bombs come in various models: some are designed to penetrate underground targets or heavily fortified structures, while others are general-purpose bombs capable of causing widespread damage. The MK-84 is among the large, powerful weapons in the U.S. arsenal.
This issue has drawn special attention because the Biden administration previously halted delivery of some such bombs to Israel in 2024, concerned that these large weapons could cause significant civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip. The Trump administration reversed this halt after returning to office in 2025.
Previously, the Trump administration approved nearly $3 billion in arms sales to Israel, including over 35,500 bombs of the same type, and in January approved a new $6.67 billion arms package to Israel.
Experts analyzing images from attacks and bomb fragments found in the area believe Israel has used U.S.-manufactured bombs in the Gaza Strip. Some were used to target Hamas tunnel networks, but strikes in densely populated areas have also caused civilian casualties.
This new sale plan arises as the conflict in the Gaza Strip continues with periodic intensity despite a fragile ceasefire mediated by the U.S. Israel continues to attack targets in Gaza while armed groups launch attacks on Israeli forces. Israel says its operations are responses to ceasefire violations.
The war began after Hamas and allied armed groups attacked southern Israel on 7 Oct 2023 GMT+7, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. The Gaza Ministry of Health reports that Israeli military operations since then have killed over 73,264 Palestinians, including those after the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, this arms sale proposal comes amid increasing debate in the U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen said he will try to block the deal, and some politicians and critics question the use of U.S. tax dollars to supply weapons to Israel.
However, the U.S. government has not officially approved the deal. Senior officials state that all foreign arms sales are proceeding through proper processes. The U.S. State Department says it will not comment on arms sales under consideration before official congressional notification.
/sourceAssociated Press/Al Jazeera