Trump Administration Approves Nearly $3 Billion Arms Sale to Israel Without Congressional Review

The Trump administration has approved a significant arms transaction with Israel, with an estimated value of approximately $3 billion. In an unusual move, the administration chose to avoid the typical congressional review process. This action enables the expedited provision of weaponry, specifically focusing on heavy bombs that Israel has previously utilized in its military actions in Gaza against Hamas.

According to several formal notifications sent to Congress late on Friday, the U.S. State Department confirmed its endorsement of the sale involving more than 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs, along with 4,000 Predator warheads, totaling around $2.04 billion. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the existence of an emergency, providing thorough justification to support immediate delivery to Israel on the basis of national security interests, thus bypassing standard review procedures normally required by Congress. Deliveries of these munitions are intended to begin next year.

Additionally, Rubio leveraged similar emergency authorization to approve another weaponry deal valued at $675.7 million. Deliveries associated with this second transaction are scheduled to commence in 2028.

Furthermore, the State Department indicated a third emergency approval involving construction equipment, specifically Caterpillar D9R and D9T bulldozers, whose cost is estimated at around $295 million. This equipment is presumably intended to support military operations and related activities.