Two U.S. officials familiar with an updated list of weapon shipments revealed that the Biden administration has sent large quantities of ammunition to Israel, including over 10,000 heavy bombs weighing 2,000 pounds and thousands of Hellfire missiles, since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that between the start of the war in October and recent days, the U.S. transferred at least 14,000 MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 precision-guided Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, 2,600 small-diameter bombs, and other munitions to Israel.
While the officials did not provide a timeline for the weapon shipments, the total figures indicate that there has been no significant decrease in U.S. military support for its ally, despite international calls to limit arms supplies and the administration’s recent decision to suspend a shipment of powerful bombs.
Experts suggest that the shipments align with Israel’s needs to replenish supplies used in the intense military campaign in Gaza, ongoing for over eight months since the October 7 operation. Tom Karako, a weapons expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, stated that these munitions are consistent with what Israel would need for its war against Hamas or a potential conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
These previously unreported delivery figures represent the latest and most extensive tally of munitions shipped to Israel since the Gaza war began. Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have exchanged fire since the onset of the Gaza war, raising fears of a full-scale war.
The White House declined to comment, and the Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. One of the U.S. officials mentioned that these shipments are part of a larger list of weapons sent to Israel since the Gaza conflict began.
A senior Biden administration official said on Wednesday that Washington has sent $6.5 billion worth of weapons to Israel since October 7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently claimed that Washington is withholding weapons, which U.S. officials have repeatedly denied, though they acknowledged some “restrictions.”
The Biden administration halted a single shipment of 2,000-pound bombs due to concerns about their impact on densely populated areas in Gaza, but U.S. officials insist that all other arms deliveries continue as usual. A single 2,000-pound bomb can penetrate thick concrete and metal, creating a wide blast radius.
Media reports on Thursday indicated that the U.S. is discussing with Israel the release of a shipment of large bombs suspended in May due to concerns over military operations in Rafah. Israel’s military operations in Gaza face international scrutiny as the Palestinian death toll exceeds 37,000, according to Gaza’s health ministry, along with extensive destruction in the coastal strip.
Washington provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid. President Biden has warned that he will impose conditions on military aid to Israel unless it protects civilians and allows more humanitarian aid into Gaza, though he has only delayed the May shipment so far.