War crimes in the Gaza Strip are provoking widespread international outrage: nearly all television channels have aired footage of Israeli troops firing on people waiting in food lines in Gaza.
A Saudi and French initiative to convene an international conference on ending hostilities in Gaza and recognizing a Palestinian state has gained strong support. Of the 193 UN member states, 142 have already recognized the Palestinian state. The United States, which supports and shields Israel from global condemnation, has announced that it will not take part in the conference, dismissing it as a propaganda move. Paris has declared that in September it will officially recognize the Palestinian state, as Ireland, Norway, and Spain have already done.
Recently, Belgium and the Netherlands stated that they will refuse entry to ships carrying military cargo destined for Israel.
On July 17, in a report by the Dutch National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security, Israel was listed among states that pose a threat to the Netherlands due to its efforts “to influence public opinion and political decision-making.”
Several months ago, the International Court of Justice condemned Israel’s actions, describing them as tantamount to genocide, and the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Prominent Arab journalist Abdulrahman al-Rashed stressed that Israel will not agree to end the war except on its own terms—above all, preventing the return of the Palestinian Authority to administer the Gaza Strip. To prolong the crisis, it will use every means available—from starvation to forced displacement.
Even in the United States, criticism of Israel is growing
Israel’s ability to conduct military operations against the Palestinians for 21 months, openly defying UN resolutions and the international community, stems above all from U.S. protection. However, significant changes are taking place within the United States itself—particularly among young people, weary of constant images of suffering and hardship among Gaza’s civilians, who are calling for a fairer approach to Middle Eastern issues. It is no coincidence that many American universities have seen demonstrations in support of Palestinians and against the Netanyahu government’s actions. Recently, some members of the U.S. Congress have begun to add their voices. President Donald Trump, while playing golf in Scotland, acknowledged to journalists the food shortages in Gaza and promised to raise the issue with Israel’s prime minister.
On July 11, the New Yorker—which usually takes a pro-Israel stance—published an in-depth investigation by three well-known journalists, Patrick Kingsley, Ronen Bergman, and Natan Odenheimer, detailing “how Netanyahu prolonged the war in Gaza to stay in power.”
Within Israel itself, after a long silence, many prominent figures are increasingly raising alarms over possible war crimes committed by the government. On July 28, The New York Times ran an article titled “Revenge Is Not a Policy: Israelis Voice Dissent Over Gaza War.” Polls show that most Israelis have long favored a deal that would end the war in exchange for the release of all hostages. On July 27, The Jerusalem Post, in an article titled “Accusations by Israeli University Professor Omer Bartov of Israeli Genocide Are Baseless—Opinion,” discussed Professor Omer Bartov, considered a leading scholar for his work on global understanding of the Holocaust. He recently made a forceful accusation against Israel, claiming it is committing genocide. The paper countered that the professor should visit Gaza himself to see what Hamas has done to the enclave: 500 kilometers of tunnels have been dug, only 125 destroyed, and the rest are used by militants to launch attacks on Israeli forces.
Although Israeli authorities defend their policy, the voices of those calling for a peace agreement with the Palestinians are growing stronger.
Israel, along with the United States, finds itself in increasing international isolation, as many in the Global South demand that Israel halt its actions—a stance shared by a growing number of ordinary citizens in the West.
It is becoming clear that the challenge the Netanyahu government is posing to the world cannot continue indefinitely: the coming days are likely to bring major changes.
Mohamed Amer, Syrian journalist
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