Netanyahu’s war on Gaza: A crime against humanity
The recent accusations by B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights – Israel mark a watershed moment in the global reckoning over Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza. For two of Israel’s most respected human rights organisations to charge their own government with genocide underscores the sheer scale of the humanitarian catastrophe and the moral collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership.
The findings in the report “Our Genocide” are damning and unequivocal. This newspaper on Wednesday reported that tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble, and nearly all of Gaza’s two million residents displaced. Severe restrictions on food, medicine, and essential aid have plunged the population into what President Donald Trump rightly described as “real starvation.” These are not the unfortunate by-products of war; they are deliberate strategies aimed at the destruction of Palestinian society.
Netanyahu’s government continues to dismiss these allegations as “baseless,” hiding behind the rhetoric of fighting Hamas while systematically punishing civilians. The reality, as the images of emaciated children and bombed-out homes reveal, is impossible to deny. Israel’s claim of facilitating humanitarian aid is a hollow gesture when its own policies obstruct the free flow of lifesaving supplies.
Trump’s unusually sharp criticism of Israel, coupled with his pledge to create US-led food centres in Gaza, signals a rare but growing rift between Israel and its traditional allies. This divide will only deepen as global outrage intensifies. International law is clear: collective punishment and targeting civilian infrastructure are war crimes.
Within Israel, the tide of public opinion is turning. Protesters, many of them families of hostages, accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war for personal political survival. Reports from Al Jazeera, The Guardian, and the Financial Times paint a chilling picture of a leader who views conflict not as a means of defence but as a tool to delay legal proceedings and tighten his grip on a fragile far-right coalition.
The international community cannot remain silent. It must demand accountability, enforce sanctions if necessary, and insist on an immediate ceasefire. Gaza’s suffering is not collateral damage — it is a testament to a brutal, calculated campaign that defies both morality and law.
Netanyahu’s actions have crossed every red line of humanity. If the world fails to act, it will share the burden of his crimes.