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In early May, US authorities said the US had halted shipments of heavy bombs to Israel, including 1,800 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (227-kilogram) bombs, over fears that Israel might use the bombs in Rafah, which was overcrowded at the time.

Now an anonymous US official told Reuters that the US had said the delivery of the 500-pound bombs was delayed only because they were in the same shipment as the 2,000-pound bombs.

“Our biggest concern was and remains the possible use of 2,000-pound bombs,” the unnamed official told Reuters.

“Since our concern was not with the 500-pound bombs, these are being moved forward through the normal process,” the US official added.

Is there a difference?

According to the Project on Defense Alternatives (PDA), which conducts defense policy research and analysis, a 500-pound bomb can seriously injure or kill anyone within 20 meters (65 feet) when it explodes.

A 2,000-pound bomb has a radius of destruction of 35 meters (115 feet).