Israel and the U.S. Moving to Erase Palestine

By Qamar Bashir
I write this with a heaviness that feels like stone in the chest, because the truth is no longer hiding in the fog of diplomacy. Israel and the United States are not inching toward a terrible conclusion; they are sprinting. What the world is watching, in slow horror and helpless disbelief, is the deliberate erasure of Palestine—Gaza first, the West Bank next—so thorough that by the time speeches are read and resolutions are drafted, there will be nothing left to save. This isn’t an accidental outcome of war or a tragic miscalculation. It is a program, a design, a road laid in concrete and driven at full speed, while the rest of us stand on the shoulder with our warnings and our tears.
Events in the Middle East are moving rapidly toward a point of no return. Israel, with the full political, military, and financial backing of the United States, is implementing a strategy aimed at eliminating Gaza as a political entity, dismantling the West Bank, and erasing the possibility of a Palestinian state. While the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session will debate resolutions and recognition of Palestine, facts on the ground are changing much faster than diplomacy can act. By the time the world gathers to discuss the issue, there may be little left to recognize.
The recent Israeli airstrike on Qatari soil marked a dangerous escalation. Qatar was playing a key role mediating between Hamas, Israel, and the United States to secure a ceasefire and a possible deal on hostage releases. The attack, which targeted senior Hamas leaders in Doha, was a direct violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and destroyed any remaining trust in the negotiation process. Qatar has protested strongly but is effectively powerless. Its heavy reliance on U.S. military bases for security leaves it unable to confront Israel directly, especially when those same bases are providing intelligence and logistical support used in regional operations.
Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. More than 2.2 million residents of Gaza are trapped, with borders closed and no safe passage available. Food, water, fuel, and medical supplies are running out, subjecting the entire population to famine and disease on a scale the region has not seen in decades. Israel has ordered mass evacuations of northern Gaza, telling over two million people to leave their homes without providing anywhere for them to go, meaning by that all of them will be slaugtered mercilessly and ethnically cleansed.
The West Bank, beside heavy bombing facing an additional threat. Israeli settlement expansion has accelerated at unprecedented speed, with thousands of new housing units bening constructed with electric spee, in areas meant for a future Palestinian state. Roads, checkpoints, and security fences are dividing Palestinian communities into isolated pockets, making the possibility of a viable Palestinian state increasingly impossible. Palestinian residents face rising violence from heavily armed settlers, while the Israeli army often protects the settlers rather than the victims. This an obvious annexation—land taken piece by piece, until there is nothing left to negotiate.
The United States’ role in this crisis is central. Washington has supplied Israel with over $22 billion in additional military aid since the war began, including precision-guided bombs, artillery shells, and air defense systems. It has also repeatedly blocked international efforts to halt the conflict. At the UN Security Council, the U.S. has vetoed multiple resolutions calling for a permanent ceasefire, even when the proposals had overwhelming global support. Without U.S. protection, Israel would face international sanctions and accountability measures, but with Washington’s backing, it continues its operations with total impunity.
In Europe, there is growing frustration. Some countries, including France, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, and Australia, have announced their intention to formally recognize Palestine as a state during the upcoming UN General Assembly. These announcements are intended as a diplomatic signal to Israel, but their impact on the ground will be limited. Even if the General Assembly votes overwhelmingly to recognize Palestine, any meaningful enforcement will require action by the Security Council, where the U.S. has already made clear it will use its veto to protect Israel. As a result, many observers believe these recognitions, while symbolic, will not prevent the ongoing military and territorial takeover.
Netanyahu has made his intentions increasingly clear in recent speeches. He has stated that Israel will target “any threat, anywhere,” and has warned neighboring countries that any group or leader perceived as hostile will face the same fate as Hamas leaders in Gaza or Qatar. His government has publicly rejected any proposals for a Palestinian state and continues to authorize policies that effectively dismantle the possibility of Palestinian self-determination. Recent statements by Israeli officials also confirm that permanent security control over both Gaza and the West Bank is part of their long-term strategy.
For Palestinians, this is an existential moment. Gaza lies in ruins, the West Bank is being fragmented, and Jerusalem faces growing pressures from settlement expansion and restricted access to religious sites. There is widespread fear that what is unfolding now is an irreversible process: the complete removal of Palestinians from their lands, either through forced displacement or by making life impossible where they are. Humanitarian organizations, including the UN, Amnesty International, and the Red Cross, have repeatedly warned of the potential for large-scale ethnic cleansing and the collapse of basic living conditions in Gaza and parts of the West Bank.
At the same time, the broader international response remains fragmented. China and Russia have criticized Israel’s actions but have taken no concrete steps to intervene. The European Union remains divided, with some countries pushing for stronger sanctions while others continue trade and defense cooperation with Israel. In the Muslim world, statements of condemnation are widespread, but no coordinated military or economic response has been mounted. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf nations, despite deep frustration, remain constrained by U.S. influence and security arrangements. As a result, Palestinians find themselves largely alone, facing an alliance of military power and political protection that they cannot match.
The writing on the wall is becoming painfully clear. Unless there is a dramatic shift in U.S. policy, Israel’s campaign to seize control over Gaza and the West Bank will continue unhindered. Over two million Palestinians in Gaza face either displacement or death, while millions more in the West Bank risk losing their land and future to settlement expansion. What remains of the Palestinian territories may soon be fully absorbed under Israeli control, leaving no state to recognize, no borders to negotiate, and no meaningful autonomy to defend.
If this trajectory continues, the upcoming UN session will not be about saving Palestine but about mourning its disappearance. Resolutions, declarations, and diplomatic speeches will have little effect when military realities on the ground have already decided the outcome. For many across the region and the world, this moment represents a test of justice and accountability. If the world remains silent, history may record this period not just as a humanitarian tragedy, but as the deliberate destruction of a nation.