Israel's war in Gaza: An alliance that threatens global peace
A horrifying and almost unbelievable tragedy is unfolding in Palestine. What we are witnessing today is not new. It is the continuation of decades of suffering, oppression, and genocide that began long before many of us were even born. This long-standing injustice includes occupation, systematic displacement, and recurring waves of violent attacks. Since October 2023, a particularly brutal new phase of violence has emerged.
This time, the scale and intent are chilling. While the US, under the Biden administration, has continued to extend unwavering support to Israel, framing its actions as "self-defence," more than 52,000 people have been killed since October 7, 2023, according to Al Jazeera. Of the people killed, 70 percent are women and children. In fact, children alone make up 44 percent of the total casualties. The remaining victims are mostly ordinary men, including UN workers, journalists, human rights defenders, and civilians. Israel has bombed schools, colleges, hospitals, libraries, and even designated UN shelters and refugee camps, places that were supposed to be safe zones.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Earlier this year, there was a brief sense of relief. As anti-war sentiment grew, the US administration changed from Biden to Trump. Many believed that Trump, with his various personal controversies, would avoid military entanglements. His words suggested a non-interventionist stance, which encouraged displaced Palestinians to return home and try to rebuild their shattered lives.
But the violence resumed. Israel launched a fresh wave of attacks with a chilling objective: to completely depopulate Gaza. Trump's goal is to transform Gaza's coastline into a luxury tourist destination. In his pursuit of power, profit, and imperial dominance, he is backing not war but clear genocide.
Emboldened by such support, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated the assault to a horrifying new level. What makes this even more shocking is that the world is not unaware. The UN General Assembly has repeatedly passed resolutions demanding an end to the war, supported overwhelmingly by member-states. Even the UN Security Council, the most powerful body of the organisation, passed a resolution to stop the violence. Yet, Israel continues its assault unabated.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has described Israel's actions as "genocide" and labelled those responsible as war criminals. Still, the killing doesn't stop because of one key reason: the US continues to back Israel. Not only has the US rejected the ICJ's findings, but it has also condemned the court for daring to take such a position against Israel.
It's important to note that the US is not a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Why? Likely because if it were, many former US presidents could be subjected to war crime charges, given their roles in many events around the world, such as recent mass killings and destructive roles in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and elsewhere. To avoid accountability, the US stays outside the ICC and continues to shield Israel from international law and scrutiny. This isn't just about weapons and intelligence. Israel uses Gaza as a testing ground. As shown in the book Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World by Jewish author Antony Loewenstein, Israel tests new weapons and surveillance systems on Palestinians. Once proven effective, these technologies are sold worldwide, often to authoritarian regimes. This grim cycle turns the suffering of Palestinians into a profit-making machine.
Importantly, many Jewish voices including progressive and democratic groups in Israel are speaking out against these atrocities. Around the world, people of all religions and backgrounds are rising in protest. In the US, across Europe, and in other countries, people are condemning their governments' support for Israel's actions. Still, Israel's impunity is not just a result of US protection. A key enabler has been the silence—or worse, the complicity—of many Arab governments. The failure of powerful Muslim-majority countries to take even a moral stand has been deeply discouraging. Most of these states are monarchies, where dissent is crushed and public protest is nearly impossible. These regimes, by aligning themselves with global imperial powers, contribute to the suffering of Palestinians.
What's happening in Palestine is a struggle between oppressed people everywhere and the forces of empire, colonisation, and domination. While many Arab rulers remain silent about Israel's atrocities, people of various faiths and nations stand in solidarity with Palestine. This is not a cause for nearly two billion Muslims alone. It is a concern for all eight billion people on Earth.
Because if such unchecked violence continues, if the mass murder of women and children, the displacement of entire populations, and the destruction of culture and life are allowed, then no one, anywhere, is safe. The Palestinian struggle is part of the larger fight for freedom, dignity, and justice for all of humanity.
Under Trump, Palestine is being reduced to a business opportunity. Gaza is seen as prime real estate. This alliance of Trump and his global supporters is profoundly dangerous. In their world, human life means nothing; only profit and power matter. Even now, protests are erupting in over 50 cities across the US against Trump's policies that show little concern for human rights, democracy, and global norms.
Trump's recent trade policies, such as the proposed global tariffs, are another sign of his disregard for international law and institutions like the World Trade Organization (WTO). Economically, politically, and militarily, the current US administration presents a serious threat to global peace and stability.
That's why it is more urgent than ever to build global solidarity across faiths, races, and borders. The alliance between the US, Israel, and their enablers is not just harming people, it is damaging the planet, worsening the climate crisis, and pushing humanity towards a dangerous future.
We must stand united—now more than ever—to amplify the voices of the oppressed, protect our shared humanity, and demand justice, peace, and freedom for all, and to save the Earth.
Anu Muhammad is former professor of economics at Jahangirnagar University.
Views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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