US Heavy Bombs Biden Kept Back Arrive in Israel

February 17, 2025

by: Yoav Zitun ~ Ynetnews

Monday, 17 February 2025 | The Defense Ministry announced Sunday morning that a shipment of heavy bombs released by the Trump administration has arrived in Israel. The shipment, which contained approximately 1,600 MK-84 heavy munitions, was transferred to air force bases throughout the country. Defense Minister Israel Katz said that this “represents a significant asset for the air force and the IDF,” and thanked US President Donald Trump and his administration for their “unwavering support of the State of Israel.”

The Defense Ministry spokeswoman said that the shipment to Israel was carried out in a joint operation, led by the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) Mission to the United States and the International Transportation Authority Unit of the Ministry’s Defense Procurement Directorate.

The Israel Ministry of Defense continues to procure and transport munitions for the IDF,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement. “To date, over 76,000 tons of military equipment have arrived in Israel via 678 airlifts and 129 sea shipments. This represents the largest air and sea bridge in Israel’s history…”

Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “the munitions shipment that arrived in Israel tonight, released by the Trump Administration, represents a significant asset for the air force and the IDF and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States.”

Katz added that he recently spoke with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who “reaffirmed America’s commitment to continue providing Israel with all necessary tools to ensure its security.”

“I thank President Donald Trump and the US administration for their unwavering support of the State of Israel. We will continue working together to strengthen our security,” Katz also said.

Another shipment containing 132 D9 bulldozers, from which the embargo also has been lifted, is now on its way to Israel. Those bulldozers were purchased from Caterpillar Inc. and the Biden administration froze their transfer.

Last month, after Trump entered the White House, the embargo on the two shipments in question was lifted. Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that “many things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but not shipped by Biden, are now on their way.”

The bombs for the air force, which the defense establishment had already purchased from Boeing—in shekels and not in aid dollars—weighing close to a ton per bomb, were frozen by the Biden administration on the grounds that the IDF might harm the local civilian population with them. The decision to freeze them was made shortly before the start of the ground operation in Rafah, due to American concerns about the use of these bombs in such a densely populated area.

The use of the D9 bulldozers to flatten buildings in the Gaza Strip led to major internal criticism in the US, protests and tremendous pressure on the Biden administration, which then froze the move for months. The results on the ground were evident in both theaters of war: An investigation conducted by Ynetnews in November revealed that many dozens of existing D9 bulldozers, which were most active during the IDF’s operations in the Gaza Strip for months between November 2023 and the beginning and middle of last year, require maintenance. These bulldozers were also needed in southern Lebanon.

Posted on February 17, 2025

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on February 16, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: The US National Archives/NARA&DVIDS Public Domain Archive

Photo License: NARA&DVIDS Public Domain Archive