Trump administration directs Pentagon to lift restrictions on bombs for Israel - Axios
The US President's administration decides to lift restrictions on Israel (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The administration of US President Donald Trump has decided to lift restrictions on the supply of heavy aerial bombs to Israel. The Pentagon has already received the corresponding directive, reports Axios.
According to three Israeli officials cited by Axios, the Trump administration has decided to reverse former President Joe Biden's ban on supplying 2,000-pound (approximately 900 kg) aerial bombs to Israel. As Axios noted, this ban, imposed last May, sparked one of the most significant crises in US-Israel relations during the Gaza war.
An Israeli official stated that the Israeli government was informed by the Pentagon about the lifting of the restrictions on Friday, January 24. It is expected that 1,800 MK-84 bombs, previously stored in the US, will be loaded onto a ship and delivered to Israel in the coming days.
Axios also recalled that the Biden administration introduced the restrictions out of concerns that the use of these heavy aerial bombs could result in significant civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.
War and ceasefire in the Gaza Strip
In October 2023, Hamas militants launched an attack from the Gaza Strip into Israel. This brief incursion, accompanied by mass killings, led to a full-scale war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Over time, the conflict spread to neighboring Lebanon.
However, in January of this year, through the mediation of the US, Qatar, and other countries, a ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire went into effect on Sunday, January 19, after Hamas militants released several Israeli hostages.
For more on the agreement between Israel and Hamas, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
