The US is planning to send 40,000 2,000lb bombs to Israel as part of a $2.8bn arms deal, including weapons whose use in Gaza raised concerns serious enough to pause their delivery under the last administration.
On Tuesday, two US officials and someone with direct knowledge of the arrangement confirmed the package to the Post, all three declining to be named. The package covers 20,000 MK-84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, and while Congress has been privately alerted about the pending sale, the transaction remains unapproved.
The bulk of the package would rely on foreign military financing, with US taxpayer dollars provided to Israel so it can then purchase the weapons from the United States.
The Biden Pause
After worries arose over the chance of mass deaths in Gaza, the Biden administration put a hold on shipments of MK-84 bombs in 2024, stopping the delivery of these weapons.
One shipment of MK-84s to Israel was freed up when Trump came back into office in 2025, after a hold had been placed on it. The Biden administration had already delivered thousands of the 2,000lb bombs to Israel during the opening weeks of its offensive on Gaza, which began with the 7 October attack.
The Trump Run
Last year, the Trump administration approved a nearly $3bn sale to Israel, bypassing the usual congressional review process and featuring more than 35,500 of the bombs. A new round of arms sales totaling $6.67bn came in January.
What These Bombs Do
There are several versions of the 2,000lb bombs, and they are built for different purposes. Some are meant to break through and destroy deeply buried targets. Other models go off high up, spreading destruction across a wide area.
Hundred of deadly strikes in Gaza and Lebanon have used American-made one-ton bombs. According to a report by The New York Times from late 2023, Israel had routinely dropped MK-84 bombs on areas of Gaza it had marked as safe for civilians.
Trevor Ball’s Warning
A US army veteran who once worked as an explosive-ordance-disposal technician now examines open-source images showing how US weapons damage civilians. He told the Post that the Israeli military relies on MK-84 bombs to bring down whole buildings while hunting suspected militants.
“If Hezbollah or whoever is in a building, an MK-84 will bring down the whole building,” Ball said.
Use in Gaza
Experts who have studied footage of attacks and collected pieces of shrapnel from the strikes say they believe US-made bombs have been employed by the Israeli military in Gaza, even though the military has not released many specifics about its arsenal. The bombs appear to be aimed at a tunnel network that Hamas is said to use, yet they also end up killing civilians in heavily populated neighborhoods.
Gaza’s health ministry says Hamas’s assault on southern Israel, which began in 2023, left roughly 1,200 dead and saw 251 seized. Since then, Israel has killed over 73,264 Palestinians, including those killed in defiance of the ceasefire.
The Broader Pattern
This sale follows a string of moves by the Trump administration aimed at boosting Israel’s military strength. The fighting in Gaza has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians and has devastated the region.
Several violations have already occurred, despite the US having brokered what was meant to be a lasting truce.
What Comes Next
Robert Mackey helped put together the report, which was first shared by the Washington Post.
The deal is not yet final.
“If Hezbollah or whoever is in a building, an MK-84 will bring down the whole building,” Ball said.
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