US Prepares $2.8 Billion Arms Package for Israel — Including 20,000 Heavy Bombs

The United States is preparing a major shipment of weapons and ammunition to the Israeli military worth $2.8 billion (nearly 59 billion crowns). The report, citing data from the Washington Post, details plans for military assistance to Israel.

The package will include 20,000 MK-84 aerial bombs, each weighing more than 900 kilograms and capable of penetrating metal and thick layers of concrete. The blast radius of such a bomb is around 400 meters, which is why its use in densely populated areas like the Gaza Strip results in high numbers of casualties.

Where These Bombs Have Been Used Before

The United States has deployed MK-84 bombs in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and besides Israel, Saudi Arabia has also used them against Houthi forces in Yemen. It was this type of bomb that Israeli forces used on September 27, 2024, to kill Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in his underground bunker.

In addition to the MK-84s, the shipment will include I-2000 Penetrator warheads, designed to punch through more than two meters of concrete. These warheads detonate only after penetrating their target and are intended to destroy underground bunkers and tunnels. In total, Israel is set to receive 60,000 bombs under the Foreign Military Financing program, meaning the purchase can be covered by the fund the US uses to support its allies.

The Political Backdrop

Israel first requested MK-84 bombs from the US two years ago, but Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, refused to supply them. News of the shipment comes shortly before the November US congressional elections, where military aid to Israel remains a hot-button issue — a significant portion of the Democratic Party has criticized Israel's military operations in Gaza, while tensions have emerged between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war against Iran.

According to a July poll by AP and NORC, 58% of Democratic voters believe US support for Israel is excessive, while Republicans remain considerably more pro-Israel. Meanwhile, only 20% of Americans view Netanyahu favorably, compared to 38% who view him unfavorably. A July Pew Research Center survey found that 62% of Americans view the Israeli government negatively, with only 32% viewing it positively. By comparison, 84% of Americans hold a negative view of Hamas's rule in Gaza.

Disagreements Over Iran

Most Americans do not support the war against Iran that the US and Israel jointly launched on February 28 of this year — a conflict that drove up fuel prices in the US and fueled inflation. Trump criticized Netanyahu for convincing him that a quick war and regime change in Iran were achievable, which ultimately did not happen.

Netanyahu, for his part, criticized the June US-Iran memorandum of understanding, under which Iran would halt its nuclear program in exchange for the US lifting anti-Iranian economic sanctions. Former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro called this "a clear divergence of US and Israeli interests," noting that Netanyahu cannot openly and harshly criticize the deal without risking a deeper rift with Trump.

Israel faces parliamentary elections on October 27, and it is possible that Netanyahu's government will be forced to step down. However, this will have no bearing on the American arms shipment, which is already moving forward.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz