US halts bomb shipment to Israel: What were the weapons intended to be sent?

This report was adapted in English by Yasmine Jaroudi

What bombs did the United States halt sending to Israel?

The United States has halted the shipment of 1,800 bombs to Israel, citing concerns over their potential use in the ongoing conflict in the region. 

Each bomb weighs approximately 907 kilograms, with 1,700 of them weighing 227 kilograms each. 

These large bombs have a wide-ranging impact, with the pressure from their explosion capable of causing significant damage, including lung injury, facial disfigurement, and limb severance, even at distances of hundreds of meters.

The shipment, which includes munitions manufactured by Boeing designed to transform dumb bombs into precision-guided munitions, has been delayed for at least two weeks. 

Why is the United States preventing these bombs from being sent? 

Speaking before the Senate on Wednesday, the US Defense Secretary stated, "We have been very clear: Israel must refrain from launching a major attack on Rafah." 

The decision to halt the bomb shipment was reportedly made last week, with President Biden directly involved in the deliberations, according to US officials.

This is not the first time Washington has withheld military aid from Israel. 

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan imposed a six-year ban on the sale of cluster weapons to Israel after the country used such weapons during its invasion of Lebanon.