Trump Approves $2.8 Billion Heavy Bomb Sale to Israel

The Donald Trump administration has approved a $2.8 billion arms sale to Israel, providing 60,000 one-ton bombs. The package includes 20,000 MK-84 and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, along with 20,000 I-2000 bunker-busting penetrator warheads. Funded through Foreign Military Financing, the deal is one of the largest munitions transfers to Israel in recent years and follows a pattern of increased support, including a January 2025 decision by Trump to lift a Biden-era hold on similar munitions.

Israel intends to use the weapons to target Hamas tunnel networks and replenish stocks depleted by conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. However, the sale faces significant pushback in Washington. Senator Chris Van Hollen vowed to block the transfer, arguing it supports a government led by a "wanted war criminal," while Representative Gregory Meeks placed an informal hold on the sale to ensure weapons are used with safeguards for human life.

Despite this opposition, Secretary of State Marco Rubio possesses emergency powers to bypass congressional review. The move comes amid reported personal tensions between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a joint U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in February 2026. Critics, including media personality Tucker Carlson, have characterized the shipment as disproportionate to the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, citing the high civilian toll associated with 2,000-pound bombs in densely populated areas.