In his third White House visit in six months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday, heaped praise on U.S. President Donald Trump for his “pursuit of peace and security… in the Middle East” and even nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize but stopped short of making any commitment on the most pressing issue in West Asia today — a ceasefire in Gaza. While indirect talks between Hamas representatives and Israel continue in Doha, Israel appears to be readying the forcible relocation of Palestinians to the south of Gaza. Defence Minister Israel Katz says he has instructed the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to come up with a plan to relocate the entire population of Gaza, of 2.3 million people, to the ruins of Rafah, which the Israelis call a “new humanitarian city”. There were reports in the Israeli media about the IDF chief, Eyal Zamir, opposing the plan, saying that “the hungry and angry” Palestinians “could turn on the IDF”. The IDF killing dozens of Palestinians, including children, in Gaza is a daily occurrence; starving civilians are shot down in aid centres. Doctors who served in Gaza in the past 20 months have horror stories of babies being starved to death or bodies of children being brought to hospitals with sniper wounds in their heads. None of this moves Mr. Netanyahu and his backers in the West, including Mr. Trump, who calls himself “a man of peace”.
Mr. Trump had said before the meeting that he would be “very firm” with Mr. Netanyahu on the need for a ceasefire. But words alone are not enough. Mr. Trump has the leverage to compel Israel to accept a ceasefire in Gaza. He demonstrated his influence in the final hours of the Iran-Israel war, publicly demanding that Tel Aviv turn back its fighter jets that had taken off to bomb Iran. Israel complied, after carrying out only a symbolic strike. Today’s Israel is dependent on the U.S. as ever before. During the war on Iran, Israel had to rely on America for offensive and defensive support. Israel needs American weapons to continue its devastating war in Gaza. And Mr. Netanyahu, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, needs American political and diplomatic backing to continue his wars across West Asia with impunity. If the U.S. continues to support Israel and refuses to use its leverage to end the Gaza war, it will be condemned by future historians and fact-finders as a country that was complicit in Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. There are no excuses for Israel to prolong this brutal war, which has killed an estimated 70,000 people in 20 months. The slaughter must stop, and Israel must be held accountable for its crimes.
Published – July 09, 2025 12:20 am IST