A shipment of heavy U.S.-made bombs arrived in Israel overnight, coinciding with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's first visit to the country, the Defense Ministry announced Sunday.
"A shipment of heavy aerial bombs recently released by the U.S. government was received and unloaded overnight in Israel," the ministry said in a statement, referring to MK-84 munitions recently authorized by President Donald Trump's administration.
"The munitions shipment that arrived in Israel, released by the Trump administration, represents a significant asset for the air force and the IDF (military) and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in the statement.
The Trump administration had earlier in February approved the sale of more than $7.4 billion in bombs, missiles and related equipment to Israel.
The sale "improves Israel's capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats," the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said at the time.
Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023 in response to a major Hamas incursion.
The war has devastated much of Gaza, resulting in the death of over 48,500 people and displacement of much of its 2.4 million population.
A cease-fire has been in effect since Jan. 19, providing for the release of captive taken by Hamas.
In response to concerns over civilian deaths, former U.S. president Joe Biden's administration had blocked a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, but Trump reportedly approved them after taking office.
Rubio, meanwhile, began his official trip to Israel on Sunday, and is expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials during the day.
He is expected to discuss the Gaza cease-fire and Trump's plan that sees displacing Palestinians from the territory and relocating them to Egypt and Jordan, a proposal that has triggered global outrage.
