AS the bloodbath in the Middle East continues unabated — from the Israeli genocide in Gaza, to the American aggression against Yemen — the ‘democracies’ of the West as well as members of the ‘ummah’ remain unmoved by the grievous loss of life.

On Friday, the Americans struck an oil facility in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, ostensibly to degrade the capabilities of the pro-Iran Houthi movement, which acts as Yemen’s de facto government. Nearly 80 people were reportedly killed in the attack, which has been described as the bloodiest since Washington began its anti-Houthi campaign in January 2024, ostensibly to assure ‘freedom of navigation’ in the Red Sea, and protect Israel. While there is disagreement on a wide range of issues, both the Trump administration and its predecessor were convinced that that Yemen must be relentlessly bombed.

Meanwhile in Gaza, there is no end to the butchery, as the death toll since Oct 7, 2023, has reached over 51,000. Just under 100 people were massacred on Thursday and Friday by Tel Aviv, with more butchery over the weekend.

While every human life is supposed to matter, it seems that to many in the world, the people of Yemen and occupied Palestine are not human. The argument that ‘only’ the Houthis are being bombed in Yemen is not convincing, as it is impossible to prevent civilian casualties in such widespread, indiscriminate bombing. Moreover, many of the facilities Washington hits are also used by civilians, which translates to more suffering for the Yemeni people, who have already endured a decade of war.

Earlier, the US and its Western allies were backing the Saudi war against the Houthis; now Washington has taken matters into its own hands, supposedly to counter Iran and protect Israel from the Yemeni threat.

Gaza, of course, is a textbook case of how a modern genocide is carried out. Hamas has said it is willing to release all Israeli hostages if Tel Aviv stops the war and withdraws from Gaza. The warmongers in Israel, however, do not seem interested in the offer.

The butchery in Gaza and Yemen — as well as Israeli aggression against Syria and Lebanon — shows that the old, West-led ‘rules-based order’ is dead. In fact, Washington and Tel Aviv freely spread disorder wherever they deem fit, even if it means violating the sovereignty of nations. A very dangerous precedent is being set here. It shows that earlier protestations about ‘human rights’ and ‘rule of law’ were mere eyewash; it is raw power that inspires and motivates states in the international arena. In the Middle East it is the law of the jungle that prevails. However, those behind the aggression should remember that this reckless behaviour can spark a much wider conflict which will be very difficult to contain.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2025