Rep. Meeks Holds Israel Bomb Sale

Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would not clear a proposed $2.8 billion U.S. arms sale to Israel. The package includes 40,000 heavy bombs, centered on 2,000-pound MK-84s and BLU-117s. The Biden administration had paused a shipment of the same bomb type over civilian-casualty concerns, before President Trump reversed that pause after returning to office. The weapons would mostly be bought with U.S. Foreign Military Financing, which uses American taxpayer money for Israel to buy U.S.-made arms. Meeks said the deal raised grave legal-use and civilian-protection concerns in Gaza and Lebanon. The administration can still bypass the informal hold, while a veto-proof congressional block is considered unlikely.