The lifting of the restriction of weapons shipments was reportedly tied to ceasefire negotiations
US President Donald Trump has approved the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, overturning a suspension imposed by the Biden administration last year, Axios and Reuters reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to Israeli officials who spoke to Axios on the condition of anonymity, “1,800 MK-84 bombs, which were held in storage in the US, will be put on a ship and delivered to Israel in the coming days.”
The decision was reportedly communicated to West Jerusalem by the Pentagon on Friday, shortly before Hamas released four female IDF soldiers as part of a prisoner swap that was agreed under the January 15 ceasefire.
The US has been a longstanding supplier of military aid to Israel, including precision-guided munitions and advanced weaponry. Washington halted the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs in May 2024 due to concerns about their use in densely populated areas, such as the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, where many Palestinian civilians had taken refuge. In July 2024, shipments of 500-pound bombs resumed after significant lobbying efforts from Israeli officials.
The 2,000-pound bombs, also known as ‘bunker busters,’ were considered disproportionately destructive and remained blocked under the Biden administration. The restrictions strained the US-Israel relationship and prompted criticism from Israel and the Jewish community in the US.
Israeli officials reportedly discussed lifting the restrictions on heavy ammunition with the Trump administration in connection to reaching a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas. Mike Herzog, Israel’s outgoing ambassador to the US, praised Trump’s role in facilitating the agreement, noting that the US had secured concessions from both sides to advance the deal.
“They got some things from the Israeli side that allowed the deal to go through, and they gave us some things and will give more going forward,” Herzog told Axios last week. He added that West Jerusalem expected Trump “to release, at the beginning of his term, the munitions that haven’t been released until now by the Biden administration.”
The decision to lift the hold comes as the death toll in Gaza surpassed 47,000 since the conflict began in October 2023. The Associated Press reported on Saturday that over 13,000 children are among the casualties. Israel has died deliberately targeting civilians and insisted that Hamas was using unarmed Gaza residents as human shields.
