Washington: The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing a $2.8 billion arms package for Israel that would include 40,000 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) each. The Washington Post reported that the package comprises 20,000 MK-84 bombs, 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, and 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads. These weapons would be funded by US taxpayers.

According to Anadolu Agency, the MK-84 is one of the most destructive conventional munitions in Western military arsenals. Its detonation can send metal fragments over vast distances, penetrate robust concrete and metal structures, and create large craters. Israel has utilized these 2,000-pound bombs substantially in Gaza and Lebanon, where their deployment has been associated with civilian casualties. The country has faced criticism for using MK-84 bombs in zones it had declared safe for civilians in Gaza.

The proposed arms package would surpass previous US deliveries of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel under both the Biden and Trump administrations. It would also exceed a controversial $2.04 billion arms sale approved in 2025, which bypassed the standard congressional review process.

Trevor Ball, a former US Army explosive-ordnance-disposal technician, explained that Israel frequently uses these weapons when targeting buildings. "If Hezbollah or whoever is in a building, an MK-84 will bring down the whole building," Ball stated. The MK-84, dubbed the "hammer" by US pilots during the 1991 Gulf War, had its shipment to Israel temporarily halted by former President Joe Biden in 2024 due to concerns about civilian casualties. Trump reversed this policy in January 2025.

Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, expressed concerns about the potential use of such weapons in densely populated areas, considering Israel's air campaign conduct in Gaza and, to some extent, in southern Lebanon.