Trump makes 2,000-pound bombs available to Israel, undoing Biden pause

Washington: President Donald Trump has instructed the US military to release a hold imposed by former President Joe Biden on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, a White House source told Reuters on Saturday. The move was widely expected. Biden put the hold on the delivery of those bombs due to concern over the impact they could have on the civilian population, particularly in Gaza's Rafah, during Israel's war in the Palestinian enclave.

"A lot of things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but have not been sent by Biden, are now on their way!" Trump said on the Truth Social media platform without providing further details.

Trump and Biden have been strong supporters of US ally Israel, even as Washington has come under criticism from human rights advocates over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from Israel's military assault against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Protesters have unsuccessfully demanded an arms embargo.

A ceasefire went into effect a week ago and has led to the release of some Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Before his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump had warned there would be "hell to pay" if hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were not released.

Hamas took around 250 hostages during an October 7, 2023, attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies. It sparked the latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed more than 47,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, and led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. It also displaced nearly Gaza's entire population and caused a hunger crisis.

Washington says it is helping Israel defend against Iran-backed militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.