The U.S. is sending a fresh round of bombs to Israel, two senior administration officials told NBC News, undermining the Biden administration’s public expressions of frustration at Israel’s conduct in the war and its own efforts at brokering a cease-fire.
The bombs are part of a weapons package that was approved for Israel years ago, but is only being fulfilled now — and includes more than 1,800 Mark 84 (MK84) 2,000-pound bombs and approximately 500 Mark 82 (MK82) 500-pound bombs, the officials said.
The delivery of the weapons package was first reported by The Washington Post.
The Mark 84 and 82 are dumb bombs that can be converted into precision-guided ones with the help of a guidance kit, which the U.S. has provided in the past.
Even with precision guidance, these bombs likely lead to civilian deaths, and it’s believed that Israel has used them in its campaign in Gaza.
“These are the bombs that can destroy entire blocks,” one senior administration official said of the MK84 bombs.
