In his first week back in the White House after his return, US President Donald Trump has consistently undone the orders of his predecessor, Joe Biden. Most recently, the Republican unblocked the May-stopped delivery of heavy bombs to Israel. His decision regarding the 2,000-pound bombs ordered from the Middle East was justified by Trump to reporters on board the Air Force One as follows:
“They have paid for them and they have been waiting for a long time.”
The weapons, he added, were already in storage. In an entry on his social network, Truth Social, the US President wrote:
“Many things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but not sent by Biden, are now on the way!”
Several US media outlets, including Reuters, The New York Times and Axios, had previously written about the new US administration’s plan to lift the delivery stop. Israel could receive the approximately 907-kilogram heavy bombs in the coming days, it was reported. The media attributed the unblocking to the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Later, the White House confirmed these reports, stating that the matter concerned 1,900 multi-purpose bombs of the Mark 84 type.
Biden had temporarily stopped the delivery of these free-fall bombs out of concern for the negative impact on the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously criticized the US government for this decision.