Israel receives shipment of heavy bombs authorized by Trump.
MK-84 bomb creates a wide blast radius. Arrival of the shipment occurs amidst uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Reuters - Israel received a shipment of MK-84 heavy bombs from the United States after US President Donald Trump lifted an export ban imposed by his predecessor, Joe Biden, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
The MK-84 is a 2.000-pound (approximately 900 kg) unguided bomb capable of penetrating concrete and thick metal, creating a wide blast radius.
The Biden administration refused to authorize the export of these bombs to Israel due to concerns about the impact on densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip.
Following the attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023, the US sent thousands of 2.000-pound bombs to Israel, but later suspended one of the shipments. The blockade was lifted by Trump last month.
"The shipment of ammunition that arrived in Israel tonight, released by the Trump administration, represents a significant asset for the Israel Air Force and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and serves as further proof of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States," declared Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday night.
The arrival of the shipment comes amid days of uncertainty about maintaining a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, agreed last month. Both sides accuse each other of violating the terms of the agreement, which stipulated a suspension of fighting to allow for the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli prisons.
Since the beginning of the war, Washington has announced aid packages to Israel worth billions of dollars.
