New US-Israel Arms Deal Sparks Civilian Casualty Concerns
What Happened
he Donald Trump administration has reportedly approved a $2.8 billion weapons package for Israel that includes 40,000 2,000-pound (one-ton) bombs comprising 20,000 MK-84 and 20,000 BLU-117 munitions. The proposed sale has been informally notified to Congress and is largely expected to be funded through US military aid programs.
Key Takeaways
The deal underscores continued strong US military support for Israel despite ongoing international scrutiny of the Gaza conflict. Human rights groups have previously raised concerns about the use of such powerful bombs in densely populated areas due to the risk of high civilian casualties, while Israel argues they are needed against fortified targets and tunnel networks.