The Imminent Catastrophe in Gaza: A Plea for American Attention
The ongoing conflict in Gaza, already a source of immense human suffering and moral outrage, teeters on the precipice of an even greater catastrophe. Recent developments suggest that Israel is poised to implement a plan that could lead to the mass destruction of what remains in Gaza and the displacement, if not outright elimination, of its Palestinian population. This plan, ominously named "Gideon’s Chariots," represents a potentially irreversible escalation of the conflict, demanding immediate and unwavering attention from the international community, particularly the American public.
According to reports, Israel’s security cabinet has approved "Gideon’s Chariots," a plan described by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "the concluding moves" of the war. While the specifics remain somewhat opaque, the plan reportedly entails the widespread demolition of remaining structures in Gaza and the "conquest" of significant portions of the territory by Israeli forces. The plan proposes offering the more than two million Palestinian civilians currently residing in Gaza a grim choice: confine themselves indefinitely to a tiny, severely restricted "humanitarian area," or leave the Strip altogether, seeking refuge in a third country.
The implications of this plan are horrifying. It points to a deliberate attempt to render Gaza uninhabitable and to forcibly displace its population. Statements made by high-ranking Israeli officials further fuel these concerns. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, for instance, has openly advocated for policies designed to inflict such intense suffering on the Palestinian population that they are effectively compelled to leave Gaza. This is nothing short of a textbook example of ethnic cleansing, a violation of international law and fundamental human rights. Smotrich has chillingly predicted the total destruction of Gaza within months, with civilians driven to despair and seeking relocation elsewhere.
The existing situation in Gaza is already dire. Years of blockade and recent restrictions on humanitarian aid have left the population, particularly children, facing starvation. The implementation of "Gideon’s Chariots," as described, would undoubtedly lead to untold death and suffering, pushing the region into a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. It is this devastating prospect that has prompted some observers, including Matt Duss, the executive vice president at the Center for International Policy think tank, to use the term "genocide," a term his organization had previously avoided in the context of this conflict.
Since the beginning of the war, the United States has been criticized for its limited efforts to alter the course of events. The previous administration, under Donald Trump, displayed little interest in the plight of the Palestinians and, according to some reports, effectively gave Prime Minister Netanyahu a free hand to act as he saw fit. Trump himself has even suggested removing the Palestinian population from Gaza and relocating them to neighboring Arab states, a proposal that has been widely condemned as inhumane and impractical.
However, there remains a window of opportunity to avert this impending catastrophe. Israel has its own reasons for potentially hesitating to implement such a maximalist assault, and even Trump has previously demonstrated a willingness to push Israel toward a ceasefire when it aligned with his political interests.
The current situation is unfolding at a time when public attention in the United States appears to be waning, perhaps due to fatigue from the war’s relentless horrors or distraction from pressing domestic issues. This, however, is precisely the worst possible time to look away. What Israel is contemplating is not simply another round of fighting but a criminal escalation of an already morally abhorrent war.
The stakes are incredibly high. The fate of the Palestinian people in Gaza hangs in the balance. The Israeli military has reportedly postponed the implementation of "Gideon’s Chariots" until after Trump’s upcoming Middle East trip, providing a narrow window of opportunity to persuade the Israeli government to reconsider its course of action. A senior Israeli security official has even suggested that this postponement is intended to create an opportunity for a negotiated ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.
Experts like Ilan Goldenberg, a former high-level Middle East official in the previous administration, believe there is a genuine chance that Israel may not truly intend to follow through with this plan, seeing it primarily as a tactic to pressure Hamas to release hostages. This hope, however, is not based on any illusion of Israeli benevolence but rather on a calculation of its own self-interest.
The implementation of "Gideon’s Chariots" would not only have horrific consequences for civilians in Gaza but is also unlikely to eliminate Hamas and would come at a tremendous cost to Israel. Without a legitimate "hold force" that enjoys some degree of support among the Palestinian population, any military gains would be fleeting, with Hamas simply retreating underground to wage an insurgency.
Yehuda Shaul, the co-director of Israel’s Ofek think tank, echoes this sentiment, suggesting that the Israeli government has not yet fully decided how far it is willing to go. However, he cautions that the overall trajectory is grim, largely due to the political dynamics within Netanyahu’s coalition.
Netanyahu’s political survival depends on the support of extreme right-wing lawmakers, including Smotrich. This faction is determined to see Gaza flattened and annexed, and its leaders are willing to use their influence to pressure Netanyahu to achieve their goals. Smotrich has explicitly stated that unless Netanyahu launches a campaign to defeat Hamas, occupies Gaza, implements a temporary military government, secures the release of hostages, and initiates a plan to depopulate Gaza, his government has no right to exist.
The influence of this faction makes the implementation of a plan like "Gideon’s Chariots" increasingly likely as time goes on. If the war does not end soon, such a policy becomes increasingly inevitable. The Israeli government is openly threatening to commit horrific crimes against Palestinian civilians, surpassing even the violence that has been witnessed over the past year and a half.
There is every reason to take this threat seriously, given the violence that Israel has already inflicted on Gazans. However, it is not yet an inevitability. The worst-case scenarios can still be avoided. Israel’s dependence on the United States, which provides the weapons and political cover necessary for its actions, creates a significant point of leverage for American leaders.
While Trump has shown little concern for Palestinian civilian life and has demonstrated disdain for pro-Palestinian activists, he is not an ideological hardliner who will support the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza at any cost. His role in securing a temporary ceasefire earlier this year suggests that he is sensitive to public perception. If escalating violence would reflect negatively on him, or if he believes he could gain political capital by preventing it, there is a chance that he might push back against Israeli maximalism.
The coming days and weeks could determine whether Palestinian life in Gaza can continue in any meaningful way after the war. This is why public disapproval in the United States could prove crucial. While ordinary Americans do not control the Israeli government or the Trump administration, they have the power to express moral outrage.
A recent Pew poll revealed a decline in the number of Americans who consider the Israel-Hamas war "important to them personally." Data from Google Trends shows that search interest in "Gaza" has fallen to its lowest level since the October 7 attacks. This is a familiar pattern in public attention to foreign wars. Initial bursts of interest tend to fade as the conflicts become less shocking to those not directly affected.
While the Israel-Hamas war has managed to inspire sustained protests, partly due to the unique role of the Israel-Palestine conflict in global politics and the personal connections many Americans have to the region, sustaining public attention remains a challenge. Americans face numerous pressing domestic issues.
However, this is a critical moment for renewed public attention. The coming days and weeks could decide the fate of Palestinian life in Gaza. Ordinary Americans, while unable to directly control the actions of the Israeli government or the Trump administration, can express their moral outrage. It is imperative that they do so now.
