A top Democrat has instituted a hold preventing the Trump administration from selling 40,000 one-ton tombs to Israel.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced on Wednesday that he won’t allow the $2.8 billion sale because of concerns about how the bombs will be used.
Ranking Member @RepGregoryMeeks announced he will not clear the Trump administration’s proposed $2.8 billion sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel due to concerns that those munitions would not be used in accordance with U.S. and international law. pic.twitter.com/g6mwNvUTOF
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems (@HouseForeign) September 16, 2026
“I remain firmly committed to Israel’s security and its ability to defend itself against serious regional threats. But the Trump administration’s proposed sale of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, some of the most destructive munitions in our arsenal, raises grave, unresolved concerns about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon,” he said in a statement.
“The Trump administration has not provided sufficient assurances that these weapons will be used by the Netanyahu government in accordance with U.S. law and with appropriate protections for civilians,” he continued.
“I therefore will not clear this sale at this time,” Meeks concluded. “This decision does not diminish Congressional support for Israel’s legitimate defense needs; it reflects Congress’s responsibility to ensure that U.S.-funded weapons are used lawfully, responsibly, and with meaningful safeguards for human life.”
Meeks’ decision to blatantly publicize his opposition was surprising, though The Hill noted that it “represents Democrats’ frustration with the Trump administration and toward the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
The Hill also reported that, while the State Department usually respects such “holds” from Congress, the Trump administration has a history of ignoring Meeks in particular.
“[T]he Trump administration has previously ignored an objection from Meeks, moving forward on an arms sale package in February 2025 despite the Democrats ‘hold’ on parts of the sale,” according to the outlet.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio bypassed the hold by declaring a national security emergency.
U.S. Releases $4 Billion in Military Aid to Israel, Strengthening a Key Strategic Ally
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has authorized the expedited delivery of $4 billion in military assistance to Israel, undoing previous restrictions that had delayed critical weapons and… pic.twitter.com/rt18NjCHxg
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) March 3, 2025
The $2.8 billion bombs package for Israel includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, in addition to 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads.
“Among the most destructive munitions in Western military arsenals, an MK-84 explosion sends metal fragments in every direction for thousands of feet, can rip through metal and thick concrete, and often creates large craters in the earth,” according to the Washington Post.
This will reportedly be the biggest sales of weapons to Israel in years.
“The size of the package eclipses previous sales of 2,000-pound munitions to Israel during the Biden administration and the Trump administration, including a controversial $2.04 billion sale in 2025 that bypassed the normal congressional review process,” the Post noted.
Trump greenlights 2,000-pound bomb supply to Israel, reversing Biden-era block
1,800 MK-84 bombs set to arrive in Israel within days pic.twitter.com/csalwk3j74
— RT (@RT_com) January 25, 2025
Israel likes to use the bombs to target buildings containing Hamas terrorists.
“They do like to use them a lot when they’re trying to target any building,” former U.S. Army explosive-ordnance-disposal technician Trevor Ball told the Post. “If Hezbollah or whoever is in a building, an MK-84 will bring down the whole building.”
The bombs are reportedly nicknamed the “hammer,” and according to the Post, the Biden administration stopped sending them to Israel out of concern Israel was using them to kill Palestinian civilians.
“That involved suspending a single shipment of the munitions in the spring of 2024,” according to the Post. “The policy was immediately reversed by President Donald Trump in January 2025, his first month back in office.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, another Democrat, is also hoping to stop the bomb sale by building support against it.
“Donald Trump is sending bombs paid for by American taxpayers to a government led by a wanted war criminal — all while the Netanyahu government continues to bomb Gaza and Lebanon, and block justice and accountability for Americans killed on its watch,” he said.
