The US has shipped 1,800 MK-84 bombs to Israel after Trump lifted the freeze, fueling its war on Gaza.
A shipment of some 1,800 MK-84 bombs has arrived in Israel from the United States after President Donald Trump lifted a freeze on the export of the weapons by the previous administration.
“The munitions shipment that arrived in Israel tonight, released by the Trump administration, represents a significant asset for the Air Force and the IDF and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday, the Times of Israel reported.
A shipment of US-made MK-84 bombs, previously held up by the Biden administration, has arrived in Israel
👉 Over 76,000 tons of military equipment arrived in Israel since Gaza war
🗣️ ❝The munitions shipment that arrived in Israel tonight, released by the Trump… pic.twitter.com/7A3TKTw0o3
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) February 16, 2025
Katz thanked Trump and the US administration “for their unwavering support of the State of Israel,” and added, “We will continue working together to strengthen our security.”
According to the paper, the Israeli defense ministry said a ship carrying the MK-84 2,000-lb munitions docked at Ashdod Port “and was unloaded onto dozens of trucks and taken to Israeli airbases.”
Used in Gaza Massacres
The Jerusalem Post reported that the shipment “came in” as the Israeli military “has been considering renewing the war in Gaza in the coming two weeks should Hamas cease delivering hostages according to the phase one deal schedule or should the sides fail to reach a deal for continuing hostage releases in phase two.”
The MK-84 bombs have been used in massacres carried out in Gaza during Israel’s 15-month-long genocidal assault on the enclave, including the Al-Mawasi attack in July 2024 in which 71 Palestinians were killed and 289 injured, the Quds News Network reported.
‘Partner in This Crime’ – Euro-Med Says Israel Dropped US-Made Bombs on Tented Gaza Camp
In September, Euro-Med reported that Israeli warplanes dropped three US-made 2,000-pound (900 kg) MK-84 bombs on a tented camp in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis at midnight as civilians were sleeping.
The Times of Israel noted that according to the defense ministry, over 76,000 tons of military equipment have arrived in Israel, since October 2023, “on 678 transport planes and 129 ships, the vast majority from the US.”
‘Peace Through Strength’
Trump confirmed to reporters on Sunday that he had lifted the block on the weapons export to Israel because he believed in “peace through strength,” the Reuters news agency reported.
“They contracted for the weapons a long time ago with the Biden administration, and then Biden wouldn’t deliver the weapons. But I look at it differently. I say, ‘peace through strength,” Trump said.
🇮🇱 This is what it looks like when a 900-kilogram bomb hits a building.
1,800 MK-84 bombs arrive in Israel within a few days. pic.twitter.com/TcHy5CwOXN
— Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) January 26, 2025
“They were sitting there. Nobody knew what to do with them. They bought them,” he added.
According to Reuters, the MK-84 bomb is “an unguided 2,000-pound (907-kg) bomb, which can rip through thick concrete and metal, creating a wide blast radius.”
US Freeze on Arms
In May last year, the US announced a decision to withhold a shipment of 1,800 2,000-lb bombs and 1,700 500-lb bombs. In addition, Biden threatened to freeze additional weapons exports if Israel went ahead with a major military offensive in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, the Times of Israel reported.
‘Surpassing World War II’ Figures – Israel Dropped Over 85,000 Tonnes of Bombs on Gaza
However, in July, the 500-lb bombs were released after the Israeli army entered Rafah, where many of the Palestinian population had been forcibly evacuated.
The US withheld the 2,000-lb bombs “over concerns that Israel would use them in densely populated parts of Gaza,” the paper reported.
New Arms Deal
Earlier this month, the US State Department approved a potential $7.41 billion military sale to Israel of bombs, missiles and related equipment.
The sale included “munitions, guidance kits, fuzes, and munitions support, along with related equipment, for an estimated cost of $6.75 billion,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.
Washington Moves Forward with $7.41 Billion Arms Sale to Israel
This was in addition to the approval of a possible sale of AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $660 million.
“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the statement added.
Deliveries were estimated to begin in 2025, it noted. The delivery of 3,000 Hellfire Air-to-Ground Missiles will begin in 2028.
Ceasefire Agreement
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 100,000 injured in Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza that began in October 2023. A ceasefire agreement, to be implemented in three phases, came into effect on January 19 bringing the onslaught to a halt.
Under the first phase – lasting six weeks – 33 Israeli prisoners held in Gaza were to be released in exchange for 737 Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
The second phase is expected to facilitate the release of the remaining Israeli detainees, while the third and final stage will focus on Gaza’s reconstruction and the return of the remains of Israeli captives who died in custody.
(PC, Agencies)
