40,000 bombs, $2.8 billion: Trump plans massive new arms package for Israel

The Trump administration is planning a $2.8 billion arms package for Israel that would include 40,000 powerful 2,000lb bombs, weapons that were previously withheld by the Biden administration over concerns about their potential to cause mass casualties in Gaza.The proposed deal includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117s, according to US officials and a person familiar with the plan cited by The Guardian and Reuters. The package has not yet been finalised, but congressional committees have been informally notified about the proposed sale.Most of the package would reportedly be financed through US foreign military financing, under which US taxpayer funds are provided to Israel to purchase American-made weapons.The planned sale comes as Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 people taken hostage.