Trump administration plans multi-billion dollar munitions sale to Israel

The United States is preparing a munitions package for Israel valued at roughly $2.8 billion (about S$3.6 billion). The proposed sale includes 20,000 MK 84 general‑purpose bombs and 20,000 BLU‑117 precision‑guided bombs, each weighing approximately 2,000 pounds.

The transaction has been informally briefed to the congressional committees that review major arms sales, and the details were first reported in a major U.S. newspaper. Neither the State Department nor the Israeli embassy responded to requests for comment on the pending sale.

The 2,000‑pound bombs have been used by Israeli forces in previous operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Similar weapons were halted by the preceding administration two years ago over concerns that their deployment could cause large‑scale civilian casualties.

The weapons are slated for use amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign that, according to health authorities in Gaza, has resulted in more than 73,000 Palestinian deaths. A United Nations inquiry has concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide, a finding that Israel disputes and frames as a self‑defensive response to Hamas‑led attacks.

Public opinion in the United States has shifted since the conflict began in 2023. A June poll found that 48 % of all voters and 66 % of Democrats believe the United States is too supportive of Israel, up from 16 % and 20 % respectively when the question was first asked in 2017.

Israel maintains that its military operations are conducted in self‑defense, while the proposed sale reflects continued U.S. security cooperation with its ally. The final approval of the sale will depend on congressional review and any further executive decisions.