New initiatives to get aid into Gaza via airdrops and a maritime corridor are little more than a “Hollywood” show by the US as it simultaneously supplies weapons to Israel, says Saul Takahashi, professor of human rights and peace studies at Osaka Jogakuin University.

“If the Americans or the EU give a hoot about Palestinian lives, they would not pretend like they are Hollywood action heroes airlifting supplies into Berlin, but they would stop the endless flow of weapons to Israel, and stop the political support for Israeli genocide,” Takahashi told Al Jazeera.

“Biden could halt all of this tomorrow with one phone call. The fact that he is not doing so – and thinks voters will be fooled by this – shows that he must think they are stupid.”

“This is not predominately a humanitarian issue. This is not some kind of natural disaster. This is a man-made disaster, this is a genocide,” Takahashi added.