Trump announces lifting of arms limitations on Israel

President Trump says weapons ordered by IDF but blocked by Biden administration will now be transferred to Israel, marking end to partial arms embargo imposed during Gaza war.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump announced over the weekend the lifting of restrictions on arms sales imposed by the Biden administration on the Israeli military.

Trump took to his Truth Social account Saturday night, writing that weapons systems which “were ordered and paid for” by Israel but blocked by the Biden administration are now being transferred to the IDF.

“A lot of things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but have not been sent by Biden, are now on their way!”

The decision marks a reversal of the May, 2024 decision by the Biden White House to hold up the transfer of some offensive weapons systems, including a shipment of MK-84 (BLU-117) 2,000-pound aerial bombs Israel had purchased.

The administration said the limits on weapons sales were imposed after Jerusalem refused to back down from its planned ground operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the last major remaining Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip at the time.

Last Friday, Axios published a report citing three Israeli officials who claimed that the Trump administration had ordered the Defense Department to lift the arms limitations put in place by President Biden.

The Pentagon notified Israel that day of the lifting of the ban.

The transfer of the 1,800 MK-84 bombs held up by the Biden White House will be completed within the next few days, the officials said.

A week earlier, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Mike Herzog said Jerusalem expected the new administration to lift the arms limits imposed by Biden.

“We believe that Trump is going to release, at the beginning of his term, the munitions that haven’t been released until now by the Biden administration,” Herzog said.