Can the world continue to look the other way when it comes to Gaza?

The Gaza Strip is often described as a vast open-air prison housing two million Palestinians. Following the Israeli occupation and the blockade of humanitarian aid decreed on March 2nd—now 75 days—the situation is more like that of a medieval city than the besiegers. Supplies have already run out, and the situation is critical. So far, around fifty children have died from malnutrition, and many more could die in the future. Israelis continue to block the passage. The excuse that the Israeli intervention ordered by Benjamin Netanyahu a year and a half ago was solely aimed at wiping out Hamas has been proven false. The Israelis are trying to exile the Palestinians, which is precisely what the Romans did to the Jews two millennia ago. In parallel with the strategy of starvation, the almost daily bombings continue, increasingly causing dozens of deaths. On the other hand, hunger continues to wreak havoc and the images we receive show it in all its harshness, as if we were in another era.

Diplomatic pressure may not be enough to get Netanyahu to stop the judicial offensive, but it should be enough to lift the blockade on humanitarian aid. Within the European Union, we should act with a united voice and a united strategy to make it clear in Tel Aviv that letting civilians die of starvation is an unacceptable red line. Pedro Sánchez should focus more on influencing Europe than on engaging in dialectical disputes with the Israeli authorities, who are always ready to play the victim.

We know that Netanyahu does not respect the United Nations or international organizations like the ICC, which has issued an arrest warrant for him, but he does understand the language of money and, above all, US military aid. Donald Trump promised to end this conflict, and since his arrival, the situation has only deteriorated. Hence his growing discomfort, and Netanyahu has been completely absent from his tour of the Middle East. Trump is completely unpredictable, but it must be admitted that American power is the only one that can stop Netanyahu and force peace negotiations in the region.