The Trump administration has approved a $2.8 billion arms sale to Israel, involving the delivery of tens of thousands of heavy bombs, according to U.S. officials. The transaction, one of the largest recent shipments of U.S. munitions to Israel, includes 40,000 one-ton bombs and a significant number of bunker-busting warheads.
The package consists of 20,000 each of the 2,000-pound Mk-84 and BLU-117 bombs, as well as 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads. These munitions are designed to explode after penetrating surfaces such as soil, rock, or concrete. The 2,000-pound bombs are capable of causing lethal blasts exceeding 1,000 feet in radius and creating craters up to 50 feet deep.
Israel’s prior use of similar heavy bombs in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon has drawn sharp international criticism over civilian casualties and widespread destruction. Human rights organizations and several foreign governments have condemned the tactics as disproportionate, citing incidents in which strikes intended to target single individuals resulted in scores of civilian deaths.
The proposed arms deal was recently submitted informally to congressional committees by the State Department as part of the standard notification process. While congressional leaders have the opportunity to express opposition, the administration retains the authority to finalize the sale under emergency powers, which can circumvent full congressional approval. Blocking such a deal would require a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate to override a presidential veto.
During previous conflicts involving Israel, the Biden administration halted a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs over concerns about their impact on civilian populations. However, after Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, similar shipments resumed amid escalating regional tensions. The current $2.8 billion package follows an earlier agreement in February, in which the administration approved a $2.7 billion arms sale including 35,000 bombs of similar types.
The administration’s approval of this large and potentially controversial munitions package signals continued strong support for Israel, despite reported tensions between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. Netanyahu is scheduled to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The State Department declined to comment directly on the sale, citing policy against discussing proposed arms deals that had not been formally notified to Congress. However, Democratic lawmakers have voiced strong opposition. Representative Gregory Meeks, ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced plans to oppose the sale over “grave, unresolved concerns” about the weapons’ potential use in civilian-populated regions.