Israel has resumed its military assault on Gaza, imposing a total siege that blocks all humanitarian aid and supplies from entering the besieged territory. The decision, announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been widely condemned by human rights organizations and legal experts, who argue that the blockade is a blatant violation of international law.
The latest escalation comes after Israel unilaterally halted the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza, citing Hamas’ alleged refusal to accept an American-backed proposal to extend the first phase of a ceasefire agreement. However, Palestinian and international sources insist that the ceasefire framework explicitly allowed for an automatic extension as long as negotiations for a second phase were ongoing. Instead, Israel appears to have deliberately collapsed the deal, reigniting its military campaign against the Palestinian population of Gaza.
For many in Gaza, the consequences of this renewed siege are catastrophic. After months of bombardment, displacement, and starvation, the humanitarian situation was already dire. According to UN agencies, access to food, clean water, and medical aid was severely limited even during the ceasefire period, as Israeli authorities repeatedly restricted the entry of life-saving supplies. Now, with all aid blocked, conditions are expected to deteriorate further, with famine and disease threatening the civilian population.
A Ceasefire Designed to Fail
The initial ceasefire was seen as a fragile but significant step toward de-escalation, hailed as a rare breakthrough after numerous failed attempts. The agreement was reached under pressure from the international community, including intervention by the Trump administration. However, rather than moving forward to the agreed-upon second phase—aimed at a more permanent resolution—Israel has opted to return to military aggression, imposing new terms that Hamas has rejected.
Reports indicate that Israel is attempting to extend phase one indefinitely, rather than proceed to phase two, which would involve broader negotiations on long-term peace, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the full release of remaining hostages. Analysts argue that Netanyahu’s government intentionally collapsed the agreement to avoid these commitments, as conceding to phase two would have endangered his political standing within Israel’s far-right coalition.
“This was always Netanyahu’s plan,” said a Middle East analyst. “Phase two of the ceasefire would have forced him into politically difficult concessions. Instead, he chose escalation to consolidate power and avoid internal backlash.”
Israel’s Actions in Violation of International Law
Legal experts and human rights organizations have condemned Israel’s latest move, arguing that the total blockade of Gaza constitutes a war crime under international law. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits collective punishment, stating that no protected person may be punished for an offense they have not personally committed. The siege—depriving 2.3 million Palestinians of food, water, and medical supplies—is a direct violation of this principle.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest legal authority in the United Nations, has already ruled that Israel, as an occupying power, is obligated to ensure the welfare of the civilian population under international humanitarian law. The court’s provisional orders from last year instructed Israel to allow the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Netanyahu’s latest decision directly defies this ruling, strengthening the case against him at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has already issued arrest warrants for both him and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges related to the use of starvation as a method of warfare.
“Israel has openly confessed to committing a war crime,” said a legal analyst from the ICC. “There is no legal justification for depriving an entire civilian population of the means of life. The international community must act before this turns into an irreversible humanitarian catastrophe.”
Despite widespread condemnation from human rights groups, Western governments have largely remained silent, with the European Union even issuing a statement blaming Hamas for the ceasefire’s collapse. Critics argue that this response reflects the continued bias in favor of Israel among Western policymakers, shielding the Israeli government from accountability even as it commits acts that violate international law.
Media Coverage and Western Bias
Israel’s blockade has also highlighted the ongoing media bias in the West, where major news outlets have framed the situation as a failure of Hamas rather than a unilateral escalation by Israel. CNN, for instance, reported that “Israel stops humanitarian aid into Gaza after Hamas rejects extending ceasefire’s first phase,” subtly shifting blame onto Palestinian resistance groups rather than acknowledging Israel’s role in violating the agreement.
Similarly, the BBC described Israel as being “accused” of breaking international law, rather than stating it as an objective fact. This pattern of framing—where Israel’s actions are softened or justified, while Palestinian resistance is portrayed as the primary obstacle to peace—has long been a criticism of Western media coverage of the conflict.
Rachel Shabi, a British journalist of Middle Eastern descent, highlighted the media’s failure to report the truth during a recent appearance on Sky News:
“All major newspapers are leading with other stories, and barely any are covering the fact that Israel has collapsed the ceasefire and imposed an illegal siege on Gaza. This is collective punishment, a war crime under international law. Yet the Western media is completely ignoring it.”
The Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
As the siege tightens, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is reaching a breaking point. According to Israel’s state broadcaster Kan News, Israeli authorities believe there are sufficient food supplies in Gaza to last four months. However, they have now cut off all fuel shipments, effectively crippling the ability to transport and distribute aid within the Strip. Fuel is essential for powering hospitals, water purification systems, and the trucks that deliver humanitarian relief.
Reports also indicate that Israel is considering cutting off water supplies entirely—a move that would have devastating consequences for a population already struggling to access clean drinking water. The United Nations has warned that Gaza is on the brink of famine, with tens of thousands of people already suffering from extreme hunger.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has made incendiary remarks, calling for the “gates of hell” to be opened on Gaza. “Now we need to open those gates as quickly and lethally as possible on our cruel enemy,” he stated, making it clear that Israel intends to escalate its military operations even further.
In addition, Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, Nissim Vaturi, has reportedly called for the bombing of food supplies entering Gaza, signaling an even more extreme shift toward using starvation as a weapon of war.
Resistance and Global Solidarity
Despite the grim reality on the ground, there are signs that international public opinion is shifting against Israel’s actions. At the 2025 Academy Awards, No Other Land, a documentary about the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank, won the Oscar for Best Documentary. The film, created by a collective of Palestinian and Israeli journalists and activists, serves as a rare example of Israeli and Palestinian solidarity in opposition to the occupation.
In his acceptance speech, Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra called on the world to take action against Israel’s crimes:
“I hope my daughter will not have to live the life I am living now—always fearing settler violence, home demolitions, and displacement. The world must act to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham echoed this sentiment, highlighting the systemic inequality between Israelis and Palestinians.
“We are unequal. I am free under civilian law, while Basel lives under military rule that destroys his life,” he said. “True safety can only come when Palestinians are free.”
As Israel’s war on Gaza intensifies, so too does global opposition. While Western governments continue to support Israel, public sentiment is shifting rapidly, with growing protests and calls for an arms embargo. Whether this will translate into meaningful political action remains to be seen.
For now, Palestinians in Gaza remain trapped in an ever-worsening humanitarian nightmare—one that the world has the power to stop, if it chooses to act.
