Israel Receives MK-84 Bomb Shipment Following Trump’s Decision to Lift Block

Jerusalem (Eurotoday Newspaper) – Israel’s defense ministry announced that it had received a shipment of heavy MK-84 bombs from the United States.

How will the new US weapons impact Israel’s military?

The shipment followed U.S. President Donald Trump lifting a block on the export of these munitions, a restriction previously set by the administration of Joe Biden.

The MK-84 is an unguided 2,000-pound bomb capable of penetrating concrete and metal, creating an extensive blast radius. The Biden administration had withheld approval for their export to Israel due to concerns about their impact in densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

“The shipment of munitions delivered to Israel tonight, made available by the Trump Administration, is a valuable asset to the Air Force and the IDF and further demonstrates the close relationship between Israel and the United States,”

said Defence Minister Israel Katz.

The weapons arrived amid concerns over whether a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, agreed upon last month, would hold. Both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement, which was meant to allow the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The US has also pledged significant military aid to Israel since the onset of the conflict.

How many bombs has the US supplied to Israel?

The Biden administration initially sent thousands of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel following the October 7, 2023, Hamas raid from Gaza but blocked one of the shipments. That restriction was overturned by Trump last month.

Unofficial estimates suggest that, since the war began, the United States has supplied Israel with approximately 14,000 MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 2,600 small-diameter air-dropped bombs, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, and other weapons.

—

Eurotoday is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium, providing unique and independent coverage of international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, Eurotoday reports on EU policies and politics, significant developments in Member States, and global events from a European point of view.