US Moves Forward with $1 Billion Arms Sale to Israel

Washington DC. (Quds News Network)- The US is pushing forward with a $1 billion arms sale to the occupation state of Israel, weeks after President Donald Trump lifted a hold on 2,000-pound bombs that the Biden administration had blocked, reported The Wall Street Journal. This comes despite an Israeli genocide that killed thousands of Palestinians.
According to US officials, the proposed $1 billion sale includes 4,700 1,000-pound bombs worth over $700 million and Caterpillar-built armored bulldozers valued at more than $300 million. The deal is part of the billions in annual US military aid to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington to meet Trump and discuss the Gaza ceasefire, a truce in Lebanon, and broader regional tensions. Israeli officials are also urging Trump to approve an additional $8 billion in arms transfers, initially requested by Biden.
In January, the Biden administration notified key congressional leaders about that larger sale, but it remains stalled due to opposition from some Democratic lawmakers.
The proposed arms deals come amid mounting criticism over Israel’s genocide in Gaza, genocide case at the ICJ, and ICC arrest warrants against Israeli leaders over war crimes using American weapons. More than 46,600 Palestinians have been killed since the genocide began, according to the health authorities.
Earlier this year, the US suspended a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs ahead of Israel’s planned offensive in Rafah. Trump lifted that suspension last week, stating aboard Air Force One that Israel had “paid for them and been waiting for them a long time.”
Netanyahu later thanked Trump in a video message, saying the weapons would help Israel “defend itself, confront common enemies, and secure a future of peace and prosperity.”
The 1,000-pound bombs in the new deal include 4,500 BLU-110s and 200 Mk-83s, classified as “general purpose bombs” by the Pentagon. The sale of Caterpillar’s D9 armored bulldozers may face opposition from progressives in Congress due to Israel’s past use of them to demolish Palestinian homes.
The State Department has informed Congress about the proposed sale, but it still requires formal approval from the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees.