For months, the world has watched in horror as Gaza is relentlessly bombarded, its people displaced, starved, and killed. Yet, much of the international media and political discourse continues to call it a “war.” This is not just inaccurate—it is dangerously misleading. What is unfolding in Gaza is not a war. It is a genocide.
A war implies a conflict between two sides of relatively equal power, each capable of inflicting damage, defending itself, and making strategic choices. Gaza, blockaded and impoverished for over 15 years, has no army, no air force, no navy. Its people are trapped in one of the most densely populated regions on Earth, with no safe zones, no bomb shelters, and no means to escape. To describe what’s happening there as a “war” is to deny the fundamental imbalance of power—and the immense suffering of a civilian population.
What we are witnessing is the systematic destruction of a people. Entire families have been wiped out in airstrikes. Hospitals, schools, refugee camps, and UN facilities have been targeted. International humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned of mass starvation and disease, yet the siege continues. This is not collateral damage. It is policy—one designed to make life in Gaza unlivable.
In this context, U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks during his Gulf tour—that Gaza “needs help”—ring hollow unless they are followed by concrete action. Trump made these statements while visiting the Gulf, where leaders are more sensitive to the Palestinian cause. Was it a moment of empathy or a calculated move to appease his hosts? The real test will come when he returns to the United States or travels to Europe or Israel. Will he have the courage to repeat such statements there? Will he call for a ceasefire, demand accountability, or support humanitarian aid? Or will his concern for Gaza conveniently fade away when he’s no longer speaking to an Arab audience?
Words without action are meaningless. If Trump—or any global leader—is truly concerned about the plight of Gazans, they must push for practical measures: immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access, rebuilding efforts, and most importantly, a path toward justice and accountability. The International Criminal Court, human rights organizations, and independent observers must be allowed to investigate potential war crimes. Anything less would be complicity.
The world must stop calling this a “war.” It is not. It is a one-sided massacre, enabled by global silence, shielded by distorted language, and prolonged by political cowardice. Refusing to name it for what it is—genocide—only emboldens the aggressors and deepens the suffering of the victims.
History will judge the world not only by what it did during this tragedy, but by what it failed to say. Let us speak the truth: Gaza is not at war. Gaza is being exterminated. And silence, in the face of genocide, is unforgivable.
