Across social media platforms, countless videos show Palestinians appealing for food, aid, and basic necessities. Each post and livestream reveals a harsh reality — that the horrors of war are no longer distant; they unfold before us, right in our hands. This digital battleground exposes the truth behind Israel’s actions, unraveling the contradictions in its narrative that once went unquestioned. Yet even as global awareness grows and solidarity spreads, it remains clear: seeing is not the same as stopping. Injustice persists unless awareness turns into collective action.
Humanitarian Crisis and US Complicity
Two years after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed by U.S.-backed Israeli forces. Humanitarian aid remains blocked in a blatant violation of international law. Organizations are being warned to comply or withdraw from providing life-saving humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza. These international non-governmental organisations (NGO) have not been able to deliver a single truck of lifesaving supplies since early March.
Reports have surfaced that Israel’s so-called ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ lures desperate Palestinians into fatal ambushes under the guise of food distribution. Despite this, Palestinians continue to risk their lives daily for access to food, water, and medicine.
Israel’s deliberate starvation of Palestinians has been widely documented by multiple humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies. In June 2025, the International Court of Justice condemned Israel for “continuous forcible displacement” and “direct attacks against civilians in displaced persons’ camps and humanitarian aid sites in Gaza”.
Yet even as ceasefire negotiations continued in Egypt between Hamas, Israel, and the United States under Trump’s so-called 20-point Gaza Peace Plan, bombings persisted. Hundreds more were killed and injured following the plan’s announcement.
Militarized Aid and Donor Interests
Countries affected by fragility and conflict often endure the consequences of unstable aid flows and the persistent gap between donor promises and real disbursements. Palestine—an occupied and aid-dependent territory—remains particularly vulnerable to these fluctuations. Scholars contend that without ending the Israeli occupation, foreign aid cannot bring about meaningful recovery or sustainable progress in society as a whole; rather, it perpetuates the oppressive conditions it purports to alleviate.
In February 2025, the United States withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and extended its funding ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). By March 2025, during Trump’s second administration, Washington released an additional USD 4 billion in military aid to Israel. Since returning to office in 2024, the administration has approved nearly USD 12 billion in new arms sales. This reflects a long-standing pattern: the United States has provided continuous military assistance to Israel since the 1940s, totaling hundreds of billions in cumulative support.
Between 1946 and 2024, Israel received an estimated USD 310 billion (adjusted for inflation) in U.S. military aid—the largest amount granted to any country in the post-war period. In contrast, Palestine has received roughly USD 40 billion over the past three decades, largely in the form of humanitarian and development assistance. This disparity underscores the political nature of aid: while Palestine’s support is confined to relief and reconstruction, Israel’s funding directly strengthens its military apparatus. Ironically, the total aid received by Palestine nearly equals the United Nations’ estimated cost of rebuilding Gaza after successive assaults.
Since October 7, 2023, the United States has passed laws giving at least $12.5 billion in extra military aid to Israel. This includes $3.8 billion approved in March 2024 under an existing agreement and $8.7 billion from an April 2024 funding bill. However, researchers Linda J. Bilmes, William D. Hartung, and Stephen Semler from Brown University estimate the real total is closer to $17.9 billion when including the cost of replacing U.S. weapons sent to Israel. This amount covers $6.8 billion in military funding, $4.5 billion for missile defense, and $4.4 billion to refill U.S. weapon stockpiles.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that military spending in the Middle East reached about $243 billion in 2024, up 15% from 2023, mostly because of higher budgets in Israel and Lebanon. Israel’s military spending rose by 65%, reaching $46.5 billion, its biggest jump since the 1967 Six-Day War. This increase was driven by its ongoing war in Gaza and fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Military spending now makes up 8.8% of Israel’s GDP, the second highest in the world. Much of this is paid for by U.S. aid, which funds the Iron Dome, new aircraft, and navy projects—programs that also benefit U.S. arms companies. In a report released last January 2025, the Nagel Committee has also advised Israel to strengthen its air defenses and border security in the Jordan Valley.
International Solidarity: The Flotilla and the Tribunal
Despite worsening conditions in Gaza, solidarity efforts around the world persist. Last August 2025, the Global Sumud Flotilla -the largest maritime mission to Gaza to date, set sail to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza, open a humanitarian corridor, and resist the ongoing genocide. Bringing together more than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries, as part of an international effort to deliver aid to Gaza. The Israel military’s violent interception of the flotilla reignited international resistance. Over 400 activists were arrested – a move that sparked widespread protests across Europe. Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands organized nationwide strikes and demonstrations, with millions calling for an end to the siege.
In addition to this act, on November 22–23, 2025, the International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS) will convene the International People’s Tribunal on Palestine, titled “Right to Resist: The Palestinian People vs. the Zionist Occupation and the U.S. Government”. The initiative aims to provide a platform “for victims and advocates and their organizations to present evidence and legal arguments related to the crimes committed against the Palestinian people”.
The Reality of Aid – Asia Pacific (RoA-AP) joins this global call, reaffirming solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle for self-determination, human rights, and genuine, people-centered development. The indiscriminate attacks on Gaza—which have killed thousands and displaced millions—must be condemned by the international community. The United States must end its military support for Israel’s occupation, while Israel must be held accountable for crimes against humanity. Aid intended for humanitarian, development, and peace programs must reach the Palestinian people without obstruction or political conditionality.
Now more than ever, the world must defend the right of the Palestinian people to resist occupation and oppression. International solidarity must move beyond rhetoric—it must challenge the structures that enable genocide and collective punishment.
Photo credit to: Abdullah Asiran – Anadolu Agency