Proposed arms package includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs, 20,000 BLU-117 bombs and 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads
President Donald Trump’s administration was preparing a $2.8 billion arms package for Israel that would include 40,000 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (907 kilogrammes) each, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
The proposed package included 20,000 MK-84 bombs, 20,000 BLU-117 bombs and 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads. The weapons would be purchased with US taxpayer funds.
The MK-84 was among the most destructive conventional munitions in Western military arsenals. Its blast could propel metal fragments thousands of feet, penetrate thick concrete and metal and create large craters.
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Israel had used 2,000-pound bombs extensively in Gaza and Lebanon, where their use had been linked to significant civilian casualties. Israel also faced criticism over the use of MK-84 bombs in areas it had designated as safe for civilians in Gaza.
Breaking news: The Trump administration is preparing a $2.8 billion sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, the largest single sale of the controversial munitions in recent years, a U.S. official told The Post. https://t.co/OBZqGeTtgw
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 15, 2026
The proposed package would exceed previous US transfers of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel under both the Biden and Trump administrations.
It would also be larger than a controversial $2.04 billion arms sale approved in 2025 that bypassed the standard congressional review process.
US public support for Israel had fallen since the Gaza war began in 2023, particularly among Democrats. A June Quinnipiac University poll found 48% of voters and 66% of Democrats believed the US was too supportive of Israel, up from 16% and 20% when the question was first asked in 2017.
Trevor Ball, a former US Army explosive-ordnance-disposal technician, described Israel’s use of the weapons, saying they were frequently employed when targeting buildings.
“If Hezbollah or whoever is in a building, an MK-84 will bring down the whole building,” Ball said.
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The MK-84 was nicknamed the “hammer” by US pilots during the 1991 Gulf War. It was the only munition whose shipment to Israel was temporarily suspended by former president Joe Biden in 2024 over concerns about civilian casualties.
Trump reversed the policy in January 2025.
Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, said there were “real concerns” over how such weapons could be used in densely populated areas, given Israel’s conduct of its air campaign in Gaza and, to some extent, in southern Lebanon.
