The Trump administration is preparing the largest single transfer of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in recent history — a $2.8 billion package delivering 40,000 heavy munitions designed to destroy bunkers, buildings, and underground facilities.
The proposal has already ignited a congressional fight, with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Chris Van Hollen vowing to block it.
The package includes 20,000 MK-84 unguided bombs, 20,000 BLU-117 precision-guided warheads, and 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads engineered to pierce reinforced concrete before detonating, according to multiple reports citing sources familiar with the informal congressional notification.
“The American people are sick and tired of funding Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Not acceptable. Congress must reject these agreements.”
Sanders accused the Trump administration of “doubling down” by providing billions in bombs to the Israeli government.
Van Hollen echoed the criticism, writing on social media: “How is this America First? We will work to stop it.”
The package would be financed primarily through Foreign Military Financing, which uses congressionally appropriated U.S. funds for eligible allies to purchase American-made defense equipment. Most of the weapons would be manufactured in the United States.
If completed, the sale would exceed a 2025 transfer that included more than 35,500 heavy bombs. The Trump administration approved that nearly $3 billion sale after bypassing the normal congressional review process — a move that drew sharp backlash from Democrats at the time.
It’s unclear whether the administration will attempt to bypass congressional review again for this new package.
The 2,000-pound bombs became a flashpoint during President Joe Biden’s term. Biden paused a shipment of the munitions to Israel in 2024 over concerns about potential mass casualties in densely populated Gaza. Trump lifted that hold immediately after returning to office.
Israel has used U.S.-made heavy munitions during military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. The United States has deployed similar weapons against hardened targets in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.
The proposed transfer comes as Israel remains engaged on multiple fronts. Israeli forces have continued strikes against Hamas in Gaza despite a fragile ceasefire, while tensions with Hezbollah persist following heavy fighting in Lebanon earlier this year.
The United States and Israel also conducted joint military operations against Iran in recent months.
A senior administration official told Fox News Digital that “all foreign arms sales are moving through the appropriate process” and declined to comment on pending sales. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. Israel’s Ministry of Defense also declined to weigh in.
The package remains at an early stage of the U.S. arms sales process. Informal congressional notification allows relevant committees to review a proposed transfer before the administration proceeds to formal notification.
If the administration formally notifies Congress, lawmakers would have an opportunity to review the proposal under the Arms Export Control Act and could pursue legislation seeking to block the sale.
Sanders and Van Hollen would need significant Democratic support — and likely some Republican defections — to successfully halt the package. The outcome will test how much leverage congressional critics of Israel aid can muster against a White House committed to the transfer.
