The Trump administration has approved the sale of a $2.8 billion arms package to Israel. This action comes after Joe Biden, the former President of the United States, had halted arms shipments to Israel.
Details of the Arms Package
According to reports, this package includes 40,000 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds that will be sent to Israel. These bombs have been used by Israeli forces in past conflicts, particularly in Palestine. After the outbreak of war in Gaza, Biden halted the shipment of these weapons, but with Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, arms shipments were resumed.
Military Analyses and Global Reactions
Analyses indicate that the Israeli army is currently using U.S.-made bombs in Gaza, which has led to widespread criticism regarding the halt of arms shipments. In 2024, while Biden was in office, the U.S. government approved the shipment of thousands of additional bombs to Israel, coinciding with a day when an Israeli airstrike resulted in the death of one of its citizens.
Among the weapons sent this year are 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs. The MK-84 bombs, known as general-purpose bombs, were first used in the Vietnam War and have earned the nickname “Hammer” due to their high destructive power. The BLU-117 bombs are a type of MK-84 that have thermal protection, making them easier to store on naval vessels.
Last August, Israel rejected Trump's 15-point plan for peace in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Prime Minister announced in a cabinet meeting that the country's military forces would continue to attack threats against their troops and citizens. Additionally, the U.S. President's peace team announced last month that an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza had been reached, while Hamas emphasized that it would not surrender its heavy weapons until Israel stopped "all forms of aggression" and withdrew its forces from Gaza.
Israel has continued its attacks on Gaza following the agreement for an initial ceasefire last October.
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