Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans for the complete reoccupation of Gaza, claiming it is the only way to achieve his stated goals—to destroy Hamas and either forcibly relocate or eliminate Palestinians in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s Plan and Gaza’s Horrific Reality
The sole outcome of Netanyahu’s plan, clearly designed to appease his extremist right-wing base, will be the infliction of even greater suffering and misery on the more than 2.4 million Palestinians struggling to survive in Gaza. It will trigger another wave of forced displacement, pushing Palestinians from northern Gaza further south, alongside another massive bombing campaign that will claim even more civilian lives—including women and children. There is hardly a single building left in Gaza that has not been damaged or destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, missiles, and relentless military bombardment.
The situation in Gaza was already catastrophic after Israel violated a fragile temporary ceasefire on March 18—just two months after it was agreed upon. Over 2,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in just seven weeks, bringing the total death toll since Israel’s genocidal war began on October 8, 2023, to more than 52,500. Thus, when Netanyahu announces a new phase of intensified military action, he undoubtedly aims to set yet another grim record in the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent Palestinian civilians.
This escalation coincides with dire warnings from the United Nations and major humanitarian organizations about the devastating consequences of Israel’s blockade, imposed on March 1, which has cut off food, fuel, and medical supplies. The most vulnerable—children, the elderly, and women—are enduring unimaginable suffering. Many are dying or falling ill due to the near-total collapse of hospitals and the absence of medical care. In other words, Netanyahu’s militarized regime has turned Gaza and its people into a medieval-style ghetto, deprived of basic sustenance and life-saving aid.
Tom Fletcher’s Just Condemnation
In a powerful statement, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher rightly emphasized that Israeli authorities made a deliberate decision two months ago to block all aid to Gaza and obstruct UN efforts to assist survivors of their military onslaught.
“They have been very clear that this policy is meant to pressure Hamas. Yes, the hostages must be released immediately—they never should have been taken from their families. But international law is unambiguous: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian aid,” Fletcher said. “Aid—and the civilian lives it saves—must never be used as bargaining chips. Blocking aid condemns civilians to starvation. It denies them basic medical care. It strips them of dignity and hope. This is brutal collective punishment. Blocking aid kills.”
Fletcher also confirmed that the UN rejected Israel’s proposed new aid distribution plan, which would have placed assistance under Israeli control, using American contractors and ensuring security for Israeli forces in distribution zones. While Israeli soldiers would not directly hand out aid (due to objections from the army’s chief of staff), they would oversee and control the process. Each Palestinian family would receive a single weekly food box—barely meeting minimum survival needs—with Israeli approval.
Fletcher stated that Israel’s plan “does not meet the minimum standards of principled humanitarian assistance.” Feeling abandoned by a world indifferent to Palestinian suffering, he appealed: “To Israeli authorities and those who still have influence with them, we say again: Lift this cruel blockade. Let humanitarian agencies save lives.” He added, “No apology will help civilians left unprotected. But I am truly sorry we have not been able to convince the international community to stop this injustice. We will not give up, even if the world has given you every reason to give up with us.” Here, Fletcher was clearly referring to the Western world, for whom the destruction of other nations has long been routine—history speaks for itself.
Trump’s Visit and His Policy
Israel’s cynical plan to escalate its assault on Gaza comes as the region anticipates renewed ceasefire efforts during US President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit. This will be Trump’s first trip to the region since taking office in late January, and it is assumed he would not want his visit overshadowed by continued bloodshed in Gaza or a worsening humanitarian catastrophe where Palestinian children are literally starving to death.
Arab leaders, who have maintained close ties with the US for decades, initially welcomed Trump’s promise to act as a peacemaker and stop the war in Gaza. But Trump failed to deliver, never pressuring Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. As a result, attempts at a lasting truce collapsed, and Israel’s malevolent prime minister now operates under the assumption that he has a green light from Washington to do as he pleases—not just in Gaza, but also in Lebanon and Syria.
Granting Israel free rein to fuel chaos and war in the region is no recipe for peace—it jeopardizes the interests of all Arab states, as well as the United States itself. All US ambitions to attract trillions in Arab investment or advance Israeli-Arab normalization will remain pipe dreams as long as the genocidal war in Gaza continues.
Ironically, the rulers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar—who, as Arabs, should defend Palestinian interests—may still hand Trump the $3 billion in funding he seeks. These funds will not only finance civilian industries but also flow into the US military-industrial complex. This means more advanced weapons for Israel—and more dead Palestinian civilians. In this world, everything is interconnected.
A Failed Strategy
Military experts unanimously agree that Israel’s strategy of pressuring Hamas through overwhelming force and indiscriminate civilian killings has failed. The only apparent goal of another large-scale massacre is to keep Netanyahu and his government in power, allowing him to evade accountability.
If Trump genuinely seeks regional stability and US interests (which the world seriously doubts), he must prevent this despicable scenario and use his visit to restrain his closest ally—finally ending the genocide of the Palestinian people. But reality suggests Trump’s priorities lie elsewhere.
Mohammed ibn Faisal al-Rashid, Political analyst, expert on the Arab world
