The Trump administration is preparing a $2.8 billion arms sale to Israel that includes 40,000 2,000-pound bombs and 20,000 penetrator warheads, with the weapons to be purchased using US military aid.

Tucker Carlson first reported the transfer of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. “According to an informed federal official, in the coming months the Trump administration plans to send a total of 40,000 Mark 84 and Blu-117 bombs to the government of Israel,” he wrote on X. 

The Washington Post later reported, citing a US official, that President Donald Trump is preparing to send 60,000 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. The sale, valued at $2.8 billion, includes 20,000 MK-84s, 20,000 BLU-117s, and 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads, which will be paid for by US Foreign Military Financing. 

According to the Army, the BLU-117 is nearly identical to the 2,000-pound MK-84, with the primary difference being the explosive filler. Both are general-purpose bombs that can be equipped with guidance kits.

Unlike the general-purpose MK-84 and BLU-117, the I-2000 is a penetrator warhead designed to strike hardened targets.

Carlson noted the massive amount of explosives the US is transferring to Israel. “It amounts to 40,000 tons of bombs. For perspective, the largest American air raid of World War Two was the Eighth Air Force’s attack on Berlin in March of 1945.” He continued, “Combined, the 2,023 Allied aircraft involved dropped about 3,000 tons of bombs. That’s 7.5 percent of what Trump is sending to Israel.”

The transfer of bombs to Israel raises concerns about Israel using the bombs to commit war crimes. Israeli forces have used 2,000-pound bombs on densely populated areas of Gaza. 

“By any definition, what the Netanyahu government has done in Gaza is genocide. The 40,000 new bombs the Trump administration is sending will be used to do the same in Lebanon, and likely in other countries in the region,” Carlson wrote. “If you wanted to extend the Iran war into the indefinite future, this is exactly what you’d do.”