Donald Trump isn't backing down. Washington is quietly pushing forward a massive $2.8 billion arms package for Israel, and it includes 40,000 heavy aerial bombs that the previous administration explicitly refused to deliver.
If finalized, this new transaction will send 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 munitions straight to the Israeli military. These are 2,000-pound conventional explosives, among the most destructive weapons in the American arsenal. Congress has already received informal notification about the impending sale. Most of the bill will be picked up by American taxpayers through the Foreign Military Financing program.
You need to understand what this package represents. It's not just another line item in foreign aid. It's a direct rejection of the restrictions put in place years ago by Joe Biden's administration.
The Weapons Biden Blocked Are Flying Again
Back in 2024, the White House hit the brakes on a shipment of MK-84 bombs. Why? Officials were terrified of mass civilian casualties in densely populated areas of Gaza. They worried about entire city blocks flattening into dust.
When Trump returned to office, he flipped the switch and lifted the hold. Last year, his administration bypassed standard congressional reviews to clear a nearly $3 billion transaction featuring over 35,500 heavy bombs, followed by another $6.67 billion in various arms sales in January.
Now, we are looking at another 40,000 heavy munitions.
Independent defense analysts and explosives experts have spent months piecing together strike footage and blast fragments from Gaza. They've repeatedly identified American-made debris at sites where entire buildings collapsed. Trevor Ball, a former US Army explosive-ordnance-disposal technician, noted that an MK-84 will take down an entire multistory structure if militants are suspected inside.
The military utility is obvious to strategists. They are built to shatter underground tunnel networks and hardened bunkers. The human cost, however, is staggering.
What This Means for the Fragile Gaza Ceasefire
The timing couldn't be more volatile. A fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States is barely holding together in Gaza. Violence continues to flare up.
Israel keeps launching overnight strikes, arguing they are responding to localized militant attacks and ceasefire violations. Meanwhile, the death toll climbs past 73,000 Palestinians according to Gaza's Health Ministry, following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks that killed roughly 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages.
Even after Jared Kushner traveled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push for reduced military friction, the bombs keep moving. The alliance between Washington and Jerusalem remains ironclad, surviving political friction over the separate conflict with Iran that flared up earlier this year.
Domestic politics in the US are fracturing over these decisions. Public support for unrestricted military aid is sliding, particularly among Democrats. Over 100 House Democrats recently voted to block aid entirely. Republicans, on the other hand, continue to back the military pipeline without hesitation.
Watch how Congress handles the informal notification period. The White House wants this pushed through quickly. Expect fierce pushback on Capitol Hill before the final paperwork clears.
