Gaza’s skyline has vanished under intense smoke, while its streets, once filled with life, now echo with silence and grief. Amid this devastation, Israel has chosen to open another front, and this time not with missiles, but with geography. The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, has recently advanced two bills that aim to formally annex large parts of the occupied West Bank. It is an act of political conquest, while on the other hand, Gaza’s children are buried under rubble.

This is not a coincidence but a continuity. As Gaza suffers from genocide, Israel is redrawing borders to make that erasure permanent.

A Legislative Land Grab

Recently, Israel’s parliament approved the first readings of two annexation bills. The first extends Israeli civil law to all West Bank settlements, which is a territory occupied since 1967 and recognized internationally as Palestinian land. When it comes to the second bill, it targets Ma’ale Adumim, a massive settlement east of Jerusalem that splits the West Bank in half, severing its north from its south.

Although the votes were close, with one passing 25–24 and the other 31–9, their meaning was profound. As per the reports, both bills were introduced while U.S. Vice President JD Vance was visiting Israel, symbolizing open defiance of Washington’s diplomacy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hesitated to endorse them publicly, but pressure from his far-right allies, led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, is relentless. Their ideology is clear: no Palestine, no partition, and hence no peace.

Gaza’s Agony: A Genocide in Real Time

While politicians in Jerusalem debate annexation, Gaza’s population fights to survive. The UN Commission of Inquiry has declared Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide, which is a deliberate, systematic, and aimed effort at destroying a people. Till now, more than 67,000 Palestinians have died. Thousands have been displaced, and entire neighborhoods lie flattened. Hospitals function without power while aid convoys are bombed before reaching the hungry.

The International Court of Justice ordered Israel in January 2024 to prevent acts of genocide and ensure humanitarian access. None of those orders was respected. Moreover, the siege tightened, and starvation was made a weapon. Against this backdrop, annexation of the West Bank reads not as policy, but as a strategy that seems to be the second half of a single campaign to erase Palestine from existence.

Illegality Beyond Dispute

When International Law is brought into the limelight, Israel’s annexation efforts are null and void. Even the ICJ’s 2024 advisory opinion confirmed that Israel’s occupation and settlement expansion violate the Fourth Geneva Convention. The United Nations has repeatedly reaffirmed that any attempt to acquire land by force is illegal. States are required not to recognize or assist such measures.

Yet, Israel continues to act with impunity. Roads, checkpoints, and segregated zones have already turned the West Bank into an archipelago of isolated enclaves. The annexation of Ma’ale Adumim would cement that reality, rendering a future Palestinian state geographically impossible. As it was observed,

“Israel no longer hides its intent, and the map of occupation is clearly being turned into a map of sovereignty.”

Washington’s response has been familiar: sharp words, soft hands. Vice President Vance called the Knesset vote an “insult,” with a warning that it endangered the fragile Gaza ceasefire framework. Yet, U.S. military aid, which is nearly $3.8 billion annually, continues without condition. American arms still supply Israeli jets, and U.S. vetoes still block UN resolutions calling for accountability.

This pattern of contradiction has defined U.S.-Israel relations for decades, including public condemnation and private protection. Israel acts knowing that Washington’s rebukes will never reach the language of sanctions. It is diplomacy without deterrence, and therefore, carte blanche.

The Ceasefire Framework

As Gaza starves, diplomats continue to negotiate the truce. According to reports, the ceasefire plan includes a phased release of Israeli hostages, the freeing of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and gradual Israeli troop withdrawals from urban centers. However, each new bulldozer digging into West Bank soil makes these efforts meaningless.

How can peace talks survive when one side expands the very occupation at their root? How can trust grow when homes are demolished under the shadow of negotiation tents? Consequently, the annexation vote mocks every word written in ceasefire communiqués.

What Lies Ahead

Inside Israel, Netanyahu faces a dangerous balancing act. His far-right allies threaten to topple his coalition if he slows annexation. Western allies warn of isolation if he proceeds. The prime minister’s hesitation is tactical, not moral. Whether annexation happens now or later, the machinery of occupation keeps grinding forward.

Internationally, legal pressure is rising but somehow easing, especially after the announcement of the so-called “truce”. The UN Human Rights Council urges accountability, while the European governments debate sanctions against settlers and arms-export suspensions. However, power still shields Israel from the consequences of law. The ICJ’s rulings carry moral weight, yet enforcement remains elusive. Until action matches outrage, international law will remain a promise unfulfilled.

Annexation during genocide is the moment when the world’s excuses run out. Law, morality, and history converge here. If the international community turns away again, the phrase “never again” will lose its meaning forever. And in the dust of Gaza and the stones of the West Bank, humanity itself will stand accused.

The stage is being set for yet another high-profile Middle East handshake, and that could be a significant one. US President Donald Trump has just indicated that he expects a substantial expansion of the Abraham Accords by December 2025. These accords were a deal of normalization between Israel and several Arab states, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, brokered by the United States in 2020.

His primary goal is to bring Saudi Arabia, the region’s heavyweight, into the fold. However, the question remains: will another round of normalization finally deliver justice to Palestinians, or bury their cause under diplomatic theatrics?

A New Chapter in an Old Script

Trump’s remarks at a campaign event this October came with quite confidence. “I think Saudi Arabia will join soon,” he said. “And when Saudi joins, everyone joins.” His prediction echoes the triumphalism of 2020, when the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords led the UAE and Bahrain to recognize Israel, followed by Morocco and Sudan. Washington called it a “new era of peace.” However, for Palestinians, it marked yet another sidelining of their struggle.

When it comes to Saudi Arabia, it has long positioned itself as the guardian of Muslim interests in Jerusalem. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has signaled openness to normalization, but only if it comes with what he calls a “credible path” to Palestinian statehood. Riyadh’s diplomats repeat that line in every forum, but the details remain elusive. Will Saudi Arabia really demand binding steps toward ending occupation, or settle for economic incentives and U.S. defense guarantees?

The Cost of Recognition Without Rights

When the Abraham Accords were first signed, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank were already expanding at a record pace. Gaza remained blockaded by land, air, and sea. Yet none of the normalization signatories demanded measurable progress on Palestinian sovereignty. Instead, trade deals, arms contracts, and security partnerships flourished. Israel gained legitimacy without reform, while Palestinians gained little beyond rhetorical sympathy.

That imbalance is what makes Trump’s new push alarming to many in the region. The Gaza genocide has laid bare the moral bankruptcy of a peace process that ignores Palestinian suffering. To speak of “peace” while Gaza starves and the West Bank land is annexed is to misuse the word entirely.

What Saudi Arabia Could Get in Return?

For Saudi Arabia, normalization with Israel comes with a tempting list of rewards. It could include a U.S.-Saudi defense pact, advanced weapons systems, and civilian nuclear cooperation. These incentives could strengthen MBS’s global standing and accelerate his Vision 2030 ambitions. Yet the domestic and regional risks are profound. Saudi public opinion, according to Arab Barometer surveys, remains firmly opposed to any deal that abandons Palestinian statehood. Even among Gulf allies, the optics of aligning with Israel during Gaza’s devastation are politically explosive.

It is undoubtedly clear that if Riyadh proceeds without clear concessions for Palestinians, it risks forfeiting its moral authority across the Muslim world. On the other hand, demanding real steps, such as halting settlement expansion, lifting the Gaza blockade, or recognizing East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, would likely stall talks indefinitely. Either way, Trump’s indication looks more like political theater than a realistic roadmap.

Trump’s Calculations

For Trump, the Abraham Accords were the centerpiece of his foreign policy legacy. Reviving them now serves his campaign narrative: the dealmaker who could deliver “peace in the Middle East” while securing American interests. However, this approach once again treats Palestine as a side issue, a problem to be managed, not resolved. The White House’s language of “prosperity” and “stability” continues to mask the reality of occupation, displacement, and collective punishment.

The United States still provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid and routinely shields it from UN accountability measures. As long as this dynamic persists, any U.S.-brokered normalization will remain inherently unequal and only a peace built on power, not justice.

Regional Dominoes and Diplomatic Illusions

If Saudi Arabia joins, analysts expect smaller Muslim-majority nations, including possibly Oman, Indonesia, or even Malaysia, to face renewed U.S. pressure to follow suit. The logic remains simple as the bigger the coalition, the more isolated Palestine becomes. Each new handshake, each photo-op in front of flags, makes Israel’s occupation appear more “normalized” on the world stage.

Yet, the Arab street tells a different story. From Amman to Kuala Lumpur, protests against Gaza’s siege have reignited solidarity with Palestinians. Even in countries that signed the Accords, public anger has grown. Leaders may sign deals, but the people remember, and hunger for justice still runs deeper than political convenience.

The danger of Trump’s December timeline is that it reframes normalization as progress, even as conditions in Gaza worsen. The UN reports that 93% of Gazans face food insecurity, while thousands remain displaced amid rubble and disease. To speak of diplomatic expansion while famine spreads is not peacemaking but another way of distraction.

True peace cannot emerge from transactional diplomacy. It demands accountability for war crimes, recognition of Palestinian sovereignty, and the dismantling of apartheid structures that define life under occupation. Until those principles guide policy, every new accord will be just another headline masking a humanitarian tragedy.

A Question of Conscience

What kind of peace are we expanding when it rewards power and punishes the powerless? The real peace demands the restoration of peace and equality, and not dominance. Saudi Arabia’s decision and inclination will shape more than its own foreign policy. It will be a defining moment of whether the Arab world chooses moral leadership or political expedience.

For Gaza, the answer cannot come soon enough. The people who have endured war, hunger, and isolation deserve more than photo opportunities and vague promises. They too deserve a peace that finally includes them!

The guns may have fallen silent, but Gaza’s agony has not. Behind the headlines of peace and tranquility lies a darker reality. This stark reality comprises starvation, censorship, and political manipulation that continue under the banner of a ceasefire. While global leaders hail a humanitarian pause, aid convoys are stalled, journalists silenced, and civilians still dying slowly from hunger and disease. In reality, Gaza’s genocide has changed its form. The violence now hides behind bureaucracy and severe neglect.

Violence Under a Ceasefire

For months, the ceasefire has been viewed as a turning point, yet the ground tells a different story. Drone strikes, sniper fire, and raids persist in several districts, violating the very spirit of peace. According to reports compiled by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), civilian injuries and detentions have continued despite official claims of calm. Eyewitnesses from central Gaza describe a grim pattern, including Israeli patrols and sporadic shelling, that keeps families in constant fear. What the world calls peace, Gazans still live under siege.

Aid Held Hostage: Politics Over Humanity

Perhaps the cruelest face of this false peace lies in aid distribution. The World Food Programme (WFP) noted that around 560 tonnes of food per day enter Gaza. This is just a fraction of what’s needed to prevent famine. Northern Gaza remains largely unreachable, where thousands survive on animal feed and brackish water. The flow of aid has been repeatedly interrupted over political disputes tied to hostage remains. This conditionality, using food and medicine as bargaining chips, undermines every fundamental principle of humanitarian law.

The Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, once gateways for relief, now operate under unpredictable permissions and delays. Aid trucks queue for hours under the desert sun while Gaza’s hospitals ration water and electricity.

“Every delay means another child going hungry,” – Reported by UNRWA

In essence, humanitarian lifelines have become tools of political leverage.

Media Under Lockdown: Silencing the Witnesses

The ceasefire also brought with it a new information war. International journalists are still barred from entering Gaza freely. Local reporters who survived the bombings continue to work under impossible conditions. It includes inadequate conditions like no fuel, no electricity, and no safety guarantees. Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have documented widespread media censorship and dozens of journalist deaths since the beginning of the conflict. Israel’s military strictly controls embedded reporting, dictating when and where journalists can film.

In a striking statement, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned that restricting access to Gaza amounts to concealing potential war crimes. Social media users have therefore become accidental reporters, using short videos, satellite imagery, and testimonies to bypass censorship. The story of Gaza now lives not on front pages but in the phones of those still willing to see.

Famine, Disease, and Displacement

Even under a ceasefire, Gaza’s humanitarian collapse continues to deepen. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that only 13 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially functional, with most lacking anesthesia, dialysis supplies, and antibiotics. In the north, famine has reached catastrophic levels in Gaza, which is classified as Phase 5 (Famine) by global food security standards. Children are dying not from bullets but from dehydration, malnutrition, and infection.

OCHA reports that more than 1.9 million Palestinians, which is nearly 90% of Gaza’s population, remain displaced. Entire neighborhoods are rubble. Sanitation systems have collapsed, raising fears of cholera and typhoid outbreaks.

Hostage Politics and the Leverage of Suffering

At the heart of Gaza’s stalled recovery is political conditionality. Israel’s decision to scale down aid until Hamas returns more hostages remains, exemplifying how humanitarian access is weaponized. Under international law, such conditional aid violates the Geneva Conventions’ prohibition of collective punishment. Yet, global powers remain muted. The ceasefire, negotiated to save lives, has instead become a bargaining table where civilians pay the price for political deadlock.

Diplomats quietly admit that the truce is being “managed,” not maintained. Every supply truck, every medical convoy, is subject to approval, inspection, and negotiation. What should be unconditional mercy has been turned into transactional diplomacy.

International Complicity and the Moral Cost of Silence

Although the illusion of peace is convenient for international politics, it allows world leaders to claim moral victory without addressing the systemic blockade. Western nations speak of humanitarian concern but continue arms trade and veto UN resolutions that demand accountability. Meanwhile, smaller nations, such as Spain, Ireland, and Norway, among them, have called for sustained aid corridors and recognition of Palestine’s right to self-determination. Yet, the global consensus for justice remains fractured.

Silence has become a strategy. As attention drifts elsewhere, the absence of noise benefits those who profit from impunity. The longer the world calls this peace, the easier it becomes to forget that Gaza is still dying.

The Way Forward

The ceasefire in Gaza is not an end but a hope that the masking under the brutality would end. Beneath its surface lies hunger, disease, silence, and slow death. Since true peace cannot be declared while aid is blocked and voices are silenced, it cannot really exist where food is conditional and suffering is just a political currency. So, we can hope that peace may not be postponed, and the surviving people of Gaza may get what they truly deserve – happiness, peace, and the ultimate prosperity!