U.S. expected to approve $2.8 billion arms package for Israel — 40,000 heavy bombs

The administration of President Donald Trump is ready to approve an arms package for Israel worth $2.8 billion, the Associated Press reported citing U.S. officials and a person familiar with the plan.

The package, which has not yet been finalized, includes 40,000 bombs: 20,000 high-explosive Mk84 2,000-pound bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, another general-purpose bomb used by the U.S. Navy. Some variants are designed to penetrate deep into underground targets, while others explode above ground and cause extensive damage.

According to AP’s reporting, the U.S. Congress has been informally notified of the pending deal. Most of the package will be paid for with foreign military financing — U.S. taxpayer dollars given to Israel to turn into weapons purchases from the U.S.

A senior administration official told AFP that “all foreign arms sales are going through the proper process,” but declined to comment on pending transactions.

The announcement comes as the U.S.–Israel war against Iran has entered its seventh month, with costs that according to the Congressional Budget Office have reached $38 billion and with growing concerns about the depletion of U.S. munitions reserves.

Source: Al Jazeera / Associated Press