WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has begun preparing a major arms package for Israel that includes 40,000 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each, in what could become the largest such sale in recent years, The Washington Post reported.
According to a U.S. official cited by the newspaper, the $2.8 billion defense package includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, along with 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads.
The MK-84 is considered one of the most destructive conventional bombs in Western military arsenals. Its blast can send metal fragments thousands of feet in multiple directions and the weapon is capable of penetrating metal and reinforced concrete.
The Washington Post reported that the proposed package would exceed previous agreements for the sale of 2,000-pound weapons to Israel under both the Biden and Trump administrations.
Israel has used 2,000-pound bombs hundreds of times in Gaza and Lebanon in recent years. Their use has drawn international criticism, including over strikes in areas designated as safe for civilians in Gaza.
The MK-84 was among the weapons whose delivery to Israel was temporarily halted by the Biden administration during the Gaza war over concerns about civilian casualties.
