Middle East

Trump administration plans $2.8B arms sale to Israel, including 2,000-lb bombs


WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has finalized plans for a $2.8 billion sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, the largest such US transfer in years, Al-Monitor can confirm.

The planned arms transfer covers some 40,000 individual 2,000-pound bombs, the latest major US weapons package for Israel despite global outcry over the widespread destruction in the densely populated Gaza Strip.

The stock is set to include 20,000 BLU-117s, a variant of the MK-84 2,000-pound munitions, the Washington Post first reported and a US official confirmed to Al-Monitor on Tuesday. 

Why it matters: The planned transfer of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel sets up a fresh test for Democrats on Capitol Hill as poll numbers show the vast majority of likely Democratic voters now oppose US weapons transfers to Israel.

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