WITH Israel planning to occupy Gaza City, chances of the ongoing genocide ending in the devastated Palestinian territory anytime soon are extremely slim. And while there has been almost universal global condemnation of Israel’s latest moves, it is unlikely that the regime in Tel Aviv will change tack. Words alone will not stop the Zionist state’s bloodstained forays — only action will.

But action has been severely lacking, particularly where the Arab and Muslim states are concerned. For their part, most Western governments have solidly stood by Israel as the latter has murdered Palestinian civilians. As per the latest developments, the Israeli regime intends to create a ‘security perimeter’ in Gaza and bring in “an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority”. This is a dubious plan, which intends to replace Palestine’s two main representative parties with local Israeli collaborators that consist of armed gangs and looters with no credibility.

Yet it must be asked why, despite Israel’s mass murder and manmade famine in Gaza, Muslim and Arab states have done nothing to stop the bloodshed. At most, they have offered statements of shock and regret. What is worse is that many regional Arab and Muslim states continue to trade with Israel and maintain diplomatic relations.

In fact, one of Israel’s Arab neighbours has recently signed a multibillion-dollar gas deal with the Zionist state. Contrast this with what ordinary citizens in many Western states are doing to express solidarity with the besieged Palestinian people.

Hundreds of thousands of them have marched in London, Sydney and other cities to denounce the Gaza genocide, and demand accountability for Israel’s crimes. While their governments may be complicit in the genocide, large numbers of citizens in Western states are asserting ‘not in our name’. Elsewhere, some states with no cultural, geographical or religious links with occupied Palestine have taken brave steps. They include Bolivia, which has severed ties with Tel Aviv, and South Africa, which has filed a case against Israel at the ICJ. These states realise that they are linked to Palestine by the bonds of humanity, and cannot sit back and simply watch the livestreamed famine and holocaust unfold.

If the world — particularly the Muslim world — is serious about ending the nightmare in Gaza, and ensuring that no more Palestinian men, women and children are butchered by Israel, then solid action is needed. Until Tel Aviv agrees to an unconditional ceasefire, there must be a global arms and trade embargo of Israel. The Arab and Muslim states must lead the way to ensure Israel is unable to arm itself, or fund the genocide in Gaza through trade. Anything short of this will fail to stop the Palestinian holocaust.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2025