KEY POINTS
- Israel receives US-made MK-84 bombs after Trump lifts ban.
- Israel faces genocide allegations at the top UN court over its Gaza operations.
- Over 76,000 tonnes of military equipment have arrived in Israel.
- Israel conducts airstrikes on Gaza despite an ongoing ceasefire.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets Netanyahu.
- Trump proposes Palestinian displacement to Egypt and Jordan.
- Egypt and Jordan firmly opposed displacement, calling for a two-state solution.
WASHINGTON: Israel has received a shipment of heavy MK-84 bombs from the United States after President Donald Trump lifted a block imposed by his predecessor, Joe Biden, on the export of the munitions, Israel’s defence ministry confirmed on Sunday.
Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its military operations in Gaza. South Africa formally accused the country of committing genocide against Palestinians and pleaded with the United Nations’ top court to order an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Israel’s defence ministry stated that a shipment of “heavy” US-made bombs arrived overnight in Israel, coinciding with the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who began his first official trip to the country as Washington’s top diplomat.
“A shipment of heavy aerial bombs recently released by the US government was received and unloaded overnight in Israel,” the ministry said, referring to the MK-84 munitions authorised by the Trump administration last month.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz hailed the arrival of the munitions, stating that they represented a “significant asset for the air force and the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)” and reinforced the “strong alliance between Israel and the United States.”
The MK-84 is an unguided 2,000-pound bomb capable of penetrating reinforced structures and causing extensive damage. The Biden administration had previously suspended the shipment over concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza. However, Trump authorised the delivery as part of his administration’s renewed military support for Israel.
Massive military shipments since Gaza war
According to Israel’s defence ministry, more than 76,000 tonnes of military equipment have arrived in Israel on 678 transport planes and 129 ships, the vast majority from the United States, since the start of the Gaza war on 7 October 2023.
The Biden administration had initially supplied thousands of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel following the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. However, amid mounting concerns over civilian casualties, Biden later suspended one of the shipments. Trump, upon assuming office on 20 January 2025, reversed the decision, facilitating the delivery of the munitions despite genocide allegations against Israel.
The MK-84 bomb has previously been linked to major incidents in the Gaza conflict, including the bombing of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in October 2023, which resulted in over 470 deaths. The ongoing Israeli bombardment has devastated Gaza, with reports stating that more than 48,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, leaving much of the enclave in ruins.
Ceasefire and Rubio’s diplomatic mission
The shipment arrived amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations. A ceasefire agreement, in effect since 19 January, has temporarily halted hostilities, but tensions remain high as both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violations. On Saturday, Hamas released three Israeli hostages in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners following mediation efforts.
On Sunday, Israel carried out airstrike on the Gaza Strip, threatening a fragile truce. Gaza’s Interior Ministry said two police officers have been killed and a third was seriously injured in an Israeli attack while securing aid supplies in Rafah in southern Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Tel Aviv on Saturday night and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials in Jerusalem. His discussions focussed on ceasefire negotiations and the future of Gaza, which has endured 15 months of Israeli war.
Trump’s controversial proposal for Gaza’s post-war governance is also expected to be a key point of discussion. Trump had proposed the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan. However, his proposal has been met with widespread condemnation from Arab nations and the wider international community.
Arab nations reject Trump’s Gaza plan
Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab nations have categorically rejected Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians. Arab leaders insist that a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital remains the only viable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has reiterated that Cairo will not be party to any plan seeking to forcibly remove Palestinians from their homeland.
Cairo has warned that mass displacement from Gaza could jeopardise Egypt’s nearly 50-year-old peace treaty with Israel. Egypt will host an Arab summit on 27 February to present a counterproposal for Gaza’s reconstruction without displacing its Palestinian population.
US-Israel military ties
The Trump administration had earlier in February approved a $7.4 billion arms package for Israel, including bombs, missiles, and other military equipment. The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency stated that the sale “improves Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthens its homeland defence, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats.”
The United States has long been Israel’s primary military supplier. Under a 2016 memorandum of understanding, the US committed to providing Israel with $3.8 billion annually in defence aid for a ten-year period starting in 2019.
Despite Biden’s temporary suspension of weapons shipments, reports indicate that his administration approved and delivered over 100 arms sales to Israel since October 2023. Each transaction was kept below the congressional approval threshold, according to The Washington Post.
Rubio’s Middle East tour
Following his meetings in Israel, Rubio will travel to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The US State Department stated that his engagements in the Middle East will focus on regional security and the Gaza ceasefire.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia have both rejected Trump’s Gaza displacement proposal. Saudi Arabia has reiterated that it will not normalise relations with Israel without a clear pathway towards Palestinian statehood. The kingdom will host a summit on 20 February with the leaders of four Arab nations to discuss alternatives to Trump’s proposal.
