President Donald Trump on January 25 directed the U.S. military to deliver nearly one-ton bombs to Israel, a shipment that had been stalled during the Biden administration, according to The Guardian.

“We released this shipment today. They [Israel] will receive it. They paid for it and have been waiting for a long time, but it was kept in storage,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The Biden administration had previously paused the delivery over concerns about civilian casualties, particularly in areas like Rafah in Gaza, where the bombs might be used.

When asked why he resumed the delivery of such powerful weapons to Israel, Trump replied, “Because they bought them.”

Earlier that day, Trump had taken to his Truth Social platform to say, “Israel has ordered and paid for a lot of items that were never sent by the Biden administration.” He added that the shipments were now on their way to Israel.

The 2,000-pound (approximately 908 kg) bombs are capable of penetrating thick concrete and metal, creating a wide blast radius. Last year, Reuters reported that the Biden administration had shipped thousands of such bombs to Israel following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks from Gaza. However, a subsequent shipment was halted by Biden due to humanitarian concerns.

Both Trump and Biden have been strong supporters of Israel, despite criticism from human rights advocates over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza following Israeli strikes against Hamas fighters. Protests demanding a weapons embargo on Israel have gained momentum but failed to influence policy.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect a week ago, resulting in the exchange of several hostages. Before his January 20 inauguration, Trump had warned of “severe consequences” if hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were not released.