The Trump administration in Washington, D.C., has greenlighted a significant arms deal amounting to nearly $3 billion with Israel, side-stepping the usual congressional review process. This move is intended to equip Israel with additional 2,000-pound bombs, similar to those previously used in their conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
News of this significant arms sale emerged late Friday when the State Department informed Congress via a series of notifications. These elucidated the details of the deal, which includes the sale of over 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs, along with 4,000 Predator warheads, worth an estimated $2.04 billion.
The arrangement also features Israel’s acquisition of Caterpillar D9 Bulldozers and related equipment, a purchase that will cost around $295 million. The Texas-based firm, Irving, is slated to commence deliveries in 2027.
The Defense Security Cooperation further confirmed the sale of munitions to Israel, which is projected to cost around $675.7 million. Manufacturing of the equipment will be undertaken by Repkon USA, based in Tampa, Florida, and The Boeing Company, headquartered in St. Charles, Missouri. Deliveries to Israel are expected to kick off in 2028.
Over the weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he had invoked emergency authorities to hasten the delivery of approximately $4 billion worth of military assistance to Israel.
Rubio also pointed out that the Trump administration has given the nod to nearly $12 billion in foreign military sales to Israel thus far.
This arms deal comes on the heels of the initial ceasefire stage, which brought a 15-month war to a standstill, facilitated the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and enabled better channels for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. This ceasefire is scheduled to expire on Saturday.
Despite this, both Israel and Hamas appear keen on upholding the truce, while negotiators from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar steer discussions aimed at progressing to the next stage.
The second phase of the truce, which began on January 19, would require Hamas to release all remaining hostages from its October 7, 2023, terrorist attack, which catalyzed the war. This would be in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, the establishment of a lasting ceasefire, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Over the past six weeks, Hamas has released 33 hostages, both alive and deceased, in return for over 1,700 Palestinian prisoners. The militant group continues to hold 59 captives, 32 of whom are presumed dead. Meanwhile, Israel is reportedly pushing for an extension of the first phase to ensure the release of more hostages.
