A shipment of heavy bombs from the United States arrived in Israel as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the country. This marks his first official trip to the region.
Bombs shipment and Israel’s response
The US sent the munitions after President Donald Trump’s administration lifted a hold on the deliveries last month, according to Israel’s Ministry of Defence. Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said the MK-84 bombs would benefit the Israeli Air Force and the IDF (Israel Defence Forces). Katz thanked the Trump administration for its ongoing support of Israel.
The Biden administration had restricted the shipment of these bombs. Former President Joe Biden raised concerns that Israel might use them indiscriminately in Gaza’s crowded areas. The US decision reversed this policy, causing some tension between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the change did not result in any major shifts in the war. Critics continued to call for tighter controls on US arms sales to Israel.
Gaza’s reaction to the US decision
Salama Maroof, head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, criticised the US decision. He argued that the US should be sending humanitarian aid rather than bombs. Maroof emphasised the contradiction between the US’s support for Israel’s military and its self-claimed role as a defender of human rights.
Rubio landed in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. He met Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, marking the start of his regional tour. On Sunday morning, Rubio will meet Netanyahu in Jerusalem. They will likely discuss US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take control of Gaza.
Rubio’s visit follows the release of three Israeli hostages by Hamas as part of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. Before meeting Netanyahu, Rubio attended mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Rubio is also set to visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
