THE UN has warned that “an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold” in Gaza. Israel has now launched its heaviest bombardment yet on the Strip killing hundreds more people after the collapse of a weeklong pause that saw the exchange of some Israeli and Palestinian prisoners. Israeli ground operations now extend to the entire Strip and are being conducted with a ferocity not witnessed before.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the latest Israeli offensive, making it extremely difficult for any kind of humanitarian aid to reach them. All communication services have been cut off as the genocide of a hapless people continues unabated. It is all happening with active US support. It is evident that the Israeli war effort is being backed by the Biden administration.

American-made bombs have reportedly been used in some of the deadliest Israeli strikes on Gaza that have killed thousands of children and destroyed most of the occupied Strip. That makes the Biden administration equally responsible for the ongoing massacre in the occupied territory.

According to a report published in the Wall Street Journal recently, Israeli forces used powerful bombs supplied by the US in the attack on a refugee camp that killed more than 100 people.

It was not the only such incident where American weapons have been used by Israeli forces in Gaza. The Biden administration has massively intensified the supply of the most modern and lethal kind of weaponry to Israel for the war on the besieged enclave.

Among the casualties, more than 6,000 children have been killed so far. As the UN chief said the occupied territory has turned into “a graveyard for children”.

The Biden administration has intensified the supply of the most lethal weaponry to Israel.

And the carnage is being carried out with the bombs and other weapons supplied to the Zionist regime by the US. Washington has reportedly provided thousands of large bombs and artillery shells for Israel’s war on Gaza.

The WSJ report said a surge of US arms to Israel since the start of the war has included 15,000 bombs and 57,000 155mm artillery shells. The US administration has remained silent on the level of weapons support to Israel.

What is most alarming is the fact that the US recently supplied “bunker-buster” bombs, along with an array of other munitions to Israel, which has escalated its bombardment of the besieged territory. The WSJ report said these bomb carry warheads weighing more than 900 kilograms and that have previously been used by the US in its wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

But while the US used those bombs mainly in open places, Israel, according to some media reports, is using them in densely populated areas in Gaza, causing massive destruction of property and human life. Some of these bombs have reportedly been used by the Israeli forces in areas close to hospitals, rendering the latter non-functional.

Unicef says that the situation has become so bad that hospital staff in southern Gaza “cannot continue”. The world has not seen such barbarism in recent times.

Despite growing international pressure, the Biden administration is not willing to call for a ceasefire. US officials claim they have repeatedly asked the Israeli leadership to try to limit civilian casualties, even as Zionist forces lay siege to Gaza’s main hospitals.

Nothing can be more hypocritical than such statements by the US administration that has fully backed the massacre being carried out by Israeli forces. It is not only US-made bombs but also billions of dollars in financial aid that have allowed the Zionist regime to continue with its war crimes. It is not just Israel’s war on Gaza anymore but also America’s war too.

It is evident that the Biden administration is getting militarily involved more deeply as the war on Gaza threatens to engulf the entire region. The US air force has struck some targets in Syria and Iraq following attacks on American bases there. Some missile and drone attacks have also been carried out by Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have declared a war against the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

While some 2,500 American troops are based in Iraq and another 900 in Syria, the US has beefed up its naval presence in the region. The Biden administration has rushed two aircraft carriers and additional troops to the Eastern Mediterranean as American officials fear their country could be dragged into a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Some American media reports say the Biden administration is in discussions with its allies to set up a naval task force to guard ships travelling through the Red Sea.

But America’s increasing military presence in the region and its backing for the Israeli war effort has already created a very volatile situation that threatens regional peace. The more prolonged the war in Gaza, the greater the danger of its spilling into the entire region.

Israel has already extended its military operations to the West Bank. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military actions in the territory. It’s all happening with encouragement from Washington.

American officials claim the war could provide a long-term solution to the Palestinian issue. But the situation is completely the opposite. The genocide and mass destruction causing the displacement of millions of people has made things worse. It has become more difficult to resolve the major cause of the conflict that is rooted in the colonisation of Palestine.

What is more shameful is the report that the Biden administration is seeking the support of Egypt and Jordan for the homeless Gaza population to be settled in their countries.

Such suggestions are quite contradictory to what US Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that “under no circumstances will the United States permit the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank”.

It is now apparent that Washington is fully behind the Israeli war on Gaza. In fact, it is now America’s war that has serious implications for global peace. The war has politically divided the US, with the majority of Americans wanting the war to end.

The writer is an author and journalist.

zhussain100@yahoo.com

X: @hidhussain

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2023