After 19 months of conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and brought accusations of war crimes against Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to escalate Israel's offensive in Gaza again. The latest plan puts Israel on a path toward a full occupation of Palestinian territory and would push Gazans into ever-narrower pockets of the devastated area. This would lead to more intense bombing, and Israeli forces would clear and hold territory, destroying what few structures remain in Gaza.
This would be a catastrophe for the 2.2 million people of Gaza who have already endured unimaginable suffering. Each new offensive makes it harder not to suspect that the ultimate goal of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition is to ensure that Gaza becomes uninhabitable and to drive the Palestinians from their land. For two months, Israel has blocked the delivery of all aid to the Gaza Strip. Child malnutrition rates are rising, the few functioning hospitals are running out of medicine, and warnings of famine and disease are becoming louder.
However, the US and European countries that present Israel as an ally that shares their values have expressed little or no condemnation. They should be ashamed of their silence and stop enabling Netanyahu to act with impunity.
In a brief statement on Sunday, Donald Trump acknowledged that Gazans were “starving” and suggested that Washington would help bring food to the area. But so far, the US president has only encouraged Netanyahu. Trump returned to the White House promising to end the war in Gaza after his team helped broker a ceasefire in January between Israel and Hamas. Under the deal, Hamas agreed to release hostages in stages, while Israel would withdraw from Gaza and the sides would reach a permanent ceasefire. But within weeks of the ceasefire taking effect, Trump announced a bizarre plan to empty Gaza of Palestinians and take it under US control. In March, Israel broke the ceasefire while seeking to change the terms of the deal, with Washington’s backing. Senior Israeli officials have since said they are implementing Trump’s plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza.
On Monday, Finance Minister and far-right Bezalel Smotrich said: “We will finally occupy the Gaza Strip.” Netanyahu insists that an expanded offensive is necessary to destroy Hamas and free the remaining 59 hostages. The reality is that the prime minister has never articulated a clear plan since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 that killed 1,200 people and sparked the war. Instead, he repeats his maximalist mantra of “total victory” while trying to appease his extremist allies to ensure the survival of his governing coalition.
Israel has said the expanded operation will not begin until after Trump’s visit to the Gulf next week, saying there is a “window” for Hamas to release hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. Arab leaders are angered by Netanyahu’s relentless pursuit of the Gaza conflict, but they will welcome Trump with lavish ceremonies and promises of billions of dollars in investment and arms deals. Trump will place the blame on Hamas when he speaks to his Gulf hosts. Hamas’ deadly attack on October 7 is what triggered the Israeli offensive. Gulf states agree that Hamas’s continued control of Gaza is a factor prolonging the war. But they must confront Trump and persuade him to pressure Netanyahu to stop the killings, lift the siege and return to talks.
The global turmoil caused by Trump has already distracted attention from the catastrophe in Gaza. However, the longer this situation continues, the more those who remain silent or afraid to speak out will be complicit.
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