The U.S. Wants to Make a "Big Move" to Supply Heavy Bombs, Criticized for Aiding the Oppressor

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 16 - U.S. media reported on the 15th that the U.S. government is preparing to provide Israel with $2.8 billion worth of ammunition, including tens of thousands of highly destructive 2,000-pound (approximately 907 kg) bombs. This arms sale plan has faced significant criticism.

Media outlets such as The Washington Post cited anonymous federal officials and informed sources, reporting that the ammunition the U.S. plans to provide includes 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, of which 20,000 are MK-84 bombs and 20,000 are BLU-117 bombs, along with another 20,000 I-2000 bunker-buster warheads.

This undated and unlocated photo shows Israeli Air Force aircraft flying over Iran to carry out strike missions. Xinhua News Agency (Photo provided by the Israel Defense Forces)

The U.S. government has informally notified Congress about this arms sale plan. Most of the funding for this arms sale will be paid through the "Foreign Military Financing" program, which means the U.S. provides funds to Israel in the form of grants or loans, which Israel then uses to purchase weapons from the U.S. Essentially, the U.S. government is paying for bombs for Israel to use.

The Washington Post pointed out in its report that the 2,000-pound bomb is one of the most destructive munitions in the Western arsenal. An MK-84 bomb has a lethal radius of several hundred meters and can destroy heavy concrete or metal structures, leaving a massive crater on the ground. During the administration of former President Biden, a Democrat, concerns over civilian casualties among Palestinians led to a suspension of such heavy bombs being provided to Israel.

The report noted that the Israeli military has used 2,000-pound bombs hundreds of times in conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Other media have reported that the Israeli military has even resorted to using heavy bombs to eliminate a single target, resulting in significant civilian casualties.

"They (the Israeli military) really like to use these kinds of bombs to bomb any building," said Trevor Bower, a former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician. "If Hezbollah personnel or anyone else (is found) in a building, an MK-84 bomb will bring the whole building down."

Brian Finucane, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, said, "Given the way the Israeli side has conducted airstrikes in Gaza and southern Lebanon, there are real concerns about how these weapons will be used in densely populated areas."

U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen stated that the Trump administration "used American taxpayers' money to buy bombs and give them to a government led by a wanted war criminal, continuing to bomb Gaza and Lebanon." In 2024, the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu due to Israel's military actions in Gaza, accusing him of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Some members of the Republican camp also oppose the continued U.S. military aid to Israel. Tucker Carlson, a former host at the conservative media outlet Fox News and a well-known influencer, wrote on social media on the 15th that the 2,000-pound bomb is highly destructive, and the Israeli military dropped nearly 600 of these bombs in densely populated areas during the initial weeks of the conflict in Gaza, stating that Israel's actions in Gaza amount to "genocide."

Since the outbreak of the latest round of the Israel-Palestine conflict in October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in over 73,000 Palestinian deaths and approximately 175,000 injuries. In Lebanon, Israeli attacks have caused around 9,000 deaths and over 30,000 injuries. (Liu Xi)