US to provide $2.8 billion worth of weapons to Israel amid strong protests
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Washington: Amid mounting international protests over the mass killing of civilians and starvation in Gaza, the US administration is preparing to approve a massive $2.8 billion (over Rs 23,000 crore) weapons package for Israel. The Donald Trump administration has given in-principle approval for the deal, which includes 40,000 advanced heavy bombs, leading US media outlets including The Washington Post reported.
The package includes some of the most destructive bombs in Western military arsenals. The massive military aid comprises 20,000 MK-84 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (around 900 kg) each, 20,000 BLU-117 bombs and 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads. The deal will be funded through Foreign Military Financing (FMF), using US taxpayer money. Trump has fully restored the transfer of 2,000-pound bombs that former president Joe Biden had suspended over concerns that their use posed a threat to civilians in densely populated Gaza.
The Trump administration is continuing its extensive military support for Israel amid concerns over severe shortages in the US military's own weapons stockpile following the war with Iran. Even as the international community and the United Nations step up sanctions and diplomatic pressure over what they describe as genocide in Gaza, Washington's continued open-ended military support for Benjamin Netanyahu's government is expected to further complicate tensions in the Middle East.
The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has intensified protests in Washington against US taxpayer money being converted into weapons for Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Several senators have introduced resolutions calling for restrictions on arms supplies amid allegations of blatant violations of international humanitarian law. However, the Trump administration, backed by the Republican majority, is moving to push the weapons deal through despite the opposition.
The move comes at a time when traditional Western allies, including Britain, have announced trade sanctions targeting Israeli settlements and are taking warnings from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seriously. While European countries are preparing to recognise an independent Palestinian state and impose sanctions on Israel, Washington's open support for the Netanyahu government is expected to further isolate the US diplomatically from its European allies and countries in the Global South.