President Donald Trump lifted a Biden administration hold on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. Trump told reporters of his plans to do so on Saturday, Jan. 25.
‘They bought them’: Trump
“We released them,” Trump said. “We’ve released them today, and they’ll have them, and they paid for them. You know, they’ve been waiting for them for a long time, they’ve been in storage a long time, but we released them today.”
When asked by a reporter why he released the hold, Trump said, “Because they bought them.”
Trump posted to Truth Social, writing, “A lot of things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but have not been sent by Biden, are on their way.”
Netanyahu’s responds
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump for lifting the hold on the one-ton bombs.
“Thank you, President Trump, for keeping your promise to give Israel the tools it needs to defend itself, to confront our common enemies, and secure a future of peace and prosperity,” Netanyahu said.
Why did the Biden administration hold the bombs?
The widely expected move comes after Biden held the delivery of the 2,000-pound bombs in hopes it would deter Israel from launching an offensive in the southern Gaza town of Rafah.
However, the move was unsuccessful, as Israel eventually launched military operations, but only after the majority of Palestinians fled the city.
What kind of bomb is it?
The Mark 84 is a high explosive, low drag general purpose bomb. Forces can outfit the bomb with different guidance kits to turn it into a precision strike weapon able to take out targets on land or at sea when in its Quicksink setup.
The 2,000-pound bomb makes quick work of concrete and metal, leaving a huge blast radius behind.
Before withholding them, the Biden administration sent thousands of the one-ton bombs to Israel in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
Continued US support for Israel
The U.S. sent billions of dollars to Israel in military support, and that is likely to continue under Trump. The aid will help Israel defend against Iranian-backed terror groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Latest on the ceasefire deal
At the beginning of the Gaza ceasefire, which started earlier in January, both Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners.
Before he took office, Trump vowed that there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas did not release all of the hostages.
The second phase of the ceasefire is in the works and may prove more difficult to navigate. This part of the deal aims to secure the remaining living hostages in Gaza, who have been there for more than 15 months.
