To many Americans, the Israel-Hamas war is nothing more than a bloodbath thousands of miles away. In Gaza, the story is different. Children become orphans in seconds, and families flee to find sanctuary. With the disproportionate number of dead Palestinians, this is not a war— it is a genocide.

Death and destruction define daily life for the people of Gaza.

 Al-Jazeera is a news network that reports current events in the Middle East. Al-Jazeera states that every day, 360 Palestinians die, and 840 suffer injuries. 42 bombs rain from the sky, and more than 12 buildings become ruins every hour. Homes, schools, hospitals and holy sanctuaries become targets, with the Israeli government hoping to reduce them to ash.

More than a year after Hamas-led attacks on Israel, the violence rages on with no end in sight. It is long past time for the United States to confront the human cost of its support for Israel.

When the United Nations proposed a ceasefire, the U.S. and its allies vetoed it. With over 43,000 Palestinians dead—16,000 of them children—Americans cannot and should not claim that our hands are clean. The U.S. and its allies are not just complicit but openly providing aid to Israel. 

Handing someone a gun is just as harmful as pulling the trigger.

This year alone, the U.S. vetoed a Security Council ceasefire resolution three times, saying that Israel has a right to “defend” itself. I support the right to self-defense, but Israel’s actions—targeting civilian areas and partaking in collective punishment—void its claims of self-preservation.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), an international organization established to prosecute war crimes, issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in May. The ICC cited five “atrocity crimes” since the war began. Atrocity crimes tend to be ones on a larger scale, such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Yet, the U.S. refused to honor these warrants, declaring both leaders safe from prosecution on American soil.

We are actively impeding justice on a global scale. Worse, we are sending a message that genocide is acceptable if it supports American interests.

 President Joe Biden said the American-Israeli partnership is “a strategic commitment.” Biden argues that if Israel did not currently exist, “we’d have to invent one.”

Thirteen times this year, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ordered Gaza’s civilians to evacuate to “safe zones.” Time and time again, bombs fell on those safe zones after residents arrived due to claims that Hamas strongholds emerged there. Watching the IDF issue these borders is insulting. How many times must civilians be herded and slaughtered like cattle?

Time, a weekly current events magazine, reported that 89% of deaths in Gaza’s populated zones were civilians who had no ties to Hamas.

The crisis does not stop with bombs and gunfire. Palestinians now face severe famine. Families struggle to find food and water. Many suffer from diseases such as hepatitis A, chickenpox, scabies and polio— all rising as conditions deteriorate.

For Gaza residents, the future seems even bleaker with Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

 According to The Washington Post., Trump repeatedly supported Netanyahu, saying, “Do what you have to do.” 

Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the social media platform X.

“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America,” Netanyahu said.

Al-Jazeera interviewed several refugees in Palestine. None expressed hope for peace under Trump’s leadership. It is hard to imagine that we live in a reality where we ignore the suffering of an entire nation in distress.

Even though the conflict is thousands of miles away, American supporters of Palestine face backlash. Americans who protested Israel’s actions faced suspensions, expulsions and accusations of anti-Semitism. 

I understand the fear that stops people from speaking out. I feel it too.  

If we let fear guide us, then nothing changes. Plenty of organizations are working for peace. Find one that you support. Organize peaceful protests, call your senators and never let your resolve falter.