Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai.The Donald Trump administration is preparing a $2.8-billion arms package for Israel that includes 40,000 powerful 2,000-pound bombs, according to US officials familiar with the proposal. The deal, which has not yet been finalised, would revive supplies of weapons whose delivery was paused by the Joe Biden administration in 2024 over concerns that their use in densely populated areas of Gaza could cause large-scale civilian casualties. The proposed package has already been informally communicated to relevant congressional committees.

Deal includes thousands of extremely heavy bombs

Each bomb weighs 2,000 pounds, or roughly 900 kg, making the proposed shipment one of the largest single transfers of such munitions to Israel in recent years. The package includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs. It also includes 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads, designed to attack hardened or underground structures. Most of the purchase would be financed through the US Foreign Military Financing programme, meaning American taxpayer funds would be used to finance Israel’s purchase of US-made weapons.

Biden had paused similar bomb shipments

The Biden administration stopped one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in 2024 because of concerns about their possible use in Gaza’s densely populated areas. The concern was that weapons of this size and destructive power could result in a high number of civilian deaths if used in built-up neighbourhoods.

The policy changed after Trump returned to the White House. His administration reversed the suspension early in 2025 and has since approved several major arms transfers to Israel. The latest proposal would represent a much larger package of the same class of heavy munitions.

These bombs can destroy underground targets

The weapons have different designs and capabilities. MK-84 bombs are general-purpose munitions capable of causing extensive destruction over a wide area, while the I-2000 penetrator is intended for hardened and underground targets. BLU-117 is a variant of the MK-84 with a thermal protective coating.

Analysis of videos and fragments recovered from sites of Israeli strikes has previously identified US-made munitions in Gaza. Some of these weapons have been used against tunnel networks and buildings, while their use in populated areas has also raised concerns over civilian casualties.

Trump has already approved billions in weapons

The proposed package comes after several major arms transfers approved by the Trump administration for Israel. According to reports:

• A roughly $3-billion weapons sale was approved last year, including more than 35,500 heavy bombs.
• A further $6.67-billion arms sale was approved in January.
• The latest $2.8-billion package would add another 40,000 2,000-pound bombs.

The latest proposal is still under consideration, and congressional committees have been informally notified. US officials have not publicly announced a final approval.

Gaza war began after Hamas-led October attack

The Gaza war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed in the attack and 251 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures cited by international news agencies. Israel subsequently launched a military campaign in Gaza, saying its objective was to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of hostages.

The scale of the ensuing destruction and civilian deaths has remained a major international concern. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 73,264 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli military campaign, including deaths recorded after periods of ceasefire.

Ceasefire has failed to end violence in Gaza

The United States has helped broker a ceasefire, but violence has not completely stopped. Israeli strikes have continued, with Israel saying it has responded to violations by Hamas and other armed groups. At the same time, clashes involving Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces have continued to be reported.

The latest weapons proposal therefore comes at a sensitive point in the conflict, when the humanitarian impact of heavy bombing remains under international scrutiny. The planned transfer also highlights the continuing military relationship between Washington and Jerusalem, despite growing debate in the United States and abroad over the scale of American arms support for Israel.