Trump admin seeks $1 bln arms sale to 'Israel' as ceasefire holds: WSJ

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Wall Street Journal
3 Feb 2025 23:51
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The new weapons deal includes 4,500 BLU-110 bombs and 200 Mk-83 bombs, which the Pentagon classifies as "general purpose bombs," alongside Caterpillar's D9 armored bulldozers, which "Israel" has previously used to demolish Palestinian homes.

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President Donald Trump, left, talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a ceremony, May 23, 2017, in occupied al-Quds. (AP)

The Wall Street Journal on Monday reported that the Trump administration has requested congressional approval for a new arms package to "Israel" worth approximately $1 billion. The proposed deal includes 4,700 1,000-pound bombs and Caterpillar-built armored bulldozers, according to US officials familiar with the matter.

The request comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington to meet with President Trump. While the White House continues to arm "Israel", it has also been pressuring neighboring countries—particularly Egypt and Jordan—to accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza, aligning with Trump's calls to "clean out" the Strip.

This latest arms deal follows an earlier $8 billion weapons package initially proposed under the Biden administration. Although some Democratic lawmakers have attempted to delay its approval, Washington's military support for "Israel" has remained unwavering.

Trump pushes for forced displacement

Trump's endorsement of "Israel's" war on Gaza has gone beyond military aid. In remarks aboard Air Force One last month, he described Gaza as a "demolition site" and called for the mass expulsion of its population.

"I'd like Egypt to take people. And I'd like Jordan to take people. We just clean out that whole thing," he stated. Trump framed this forced displacement as a step toward "Middle East peace," a position echoed by his son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, who suggested Gaza's waterfront would be "very valuable" if its Palestinian residents were removed.

The Biden administration had previously suspended a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs in 2024 due to concerns over "Israel's" expected assault on Rafah. However, Trump lifted the hold last week, ensuring continued weapons shipments. Justifying the decision, he said, "They paid for them and they have been waiting for them for a long time."

Netanyahu welcomed the move, expressing gratitude in a video statement; "Thank you, President Trump, for keeping your promise to give "Israel" the tools it needs to defend itself, to confront our common enemies, and to secure a future of peace and prosperity."

The new weapons deal includes 4,500 BLU-110 bombs and 200 Mk-83 bombs, which the Pentagon classifies as "general purpose bombs," alongside Caterpillar's D9 armored bulldozers, which "Israel" has previously used to demolish Palestinian homes.

Meanwhile, Egypt and Jordan have firmly rejected US pressure to accept displaced Palestinians. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi denounced the proposal as "an injustice" that "can never be tolerated or allowed because of its impact on Egyptian national security." Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi similarly dismissed the plan, emphasizing that "the solution to the Palestinian issue lies in Palestine."