The arrival of shipment in Israel was confirmed by the Defense
Ministry, officially ending an approximate nine-month freeze by the Biden
administration, which the Trump administration reversed upon entering
office.
Reportedly, the shipment came in as the IDF was considering
renewing the war in Gaza in the coming two weeks should Hamas cease delivering
hostages according to the Phase I deal schedule or should the sides fail to
reach a deal for continuing hostage releases in Phase II.
The
MK-84 is an unguided 2,000 pound bomb, which can rip through thick concrete and
metal, creating a wide blast radius.
It may be recalled that the Biden administration declined to
clear them for export to Israel out of concern about the impact on densely
populated areas of the Gaza Strip.
The Biden administration has sent thousands of
2,000-pound bombs to Israel after the October 07, 2023 but later held up one of
the shipments. The hold was lifted by Trump last month.
"The
munitions shipment that arrived in Israel tonight, released by the Trump
Administration, represents a significant asset for the Air Force and the IDF
and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance between Israel and the
United States," Defence Minister Israel Katz said late on Saturday.
Washington has delivered lethal arms to Israel worth
billions of dollars since Israeli incursion started in Gaza in October 2023.
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