Trump lifts Biden's block on bomb supplies for Israel
The Trump administration instructed the Pentagon to lift restrictions on the supply of heavy aerial bombs for Israel, the Axios portal reported. Previously, these had been blocked by Joe Biden.
The Trump administration decided to lift restrictions on the supply of heavy aerial bombs for Israel. According to the Axios portal, citing three Israeli sources, this decision concerns 1,800 MK-84 aerial bombs weighing approximately 900 kilograms, which are to be sent to Israel in the coming days.
Joe Biden had previously blocked supplies
The previous Joe Biden administration blocked these supplies in May 2024 due to concerns about the fate of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Although the suspension of the supply did not significantly impact the Israeli military, this move was used politically. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the US had imposed an "embargo" on ammunition supplies, rallying Biden's Republican opponents to greater support for Israel. Biden's move was also criticized by the pro-Israel wing of the Democratic Party.
At the same time, blocking one shipment of ammunition did not silence the opposition from the progressive Democratic faction, which criticized American arms supplies to Israel.
For many years, Israel was the largest recipient of US military aid. Before the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip, it amounted to $3.8 billion (CAD 5.5 billion) annually. During the first year of the war, the US allocated $17.9 billion (CAD 25.7 billion) in military aid to Israel. The United States also remains the largest exporter of arms to Israel.
