I
n a brazen display of disregard for international law, President Donald Trump unveiled his vision to transform the Gaza Strip into "The Riviera of the Middle East" at a February 4 press conference in Washington, D.C. Standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump announced that the U.S. would "take over" Gaza, with Palestinians to be relocated to other countries.

    "We have an opportunity to do something phenomenal," Trump declared, as he read from prepared notes, stating that "We'll own it." This plan would effectively erase Palestinian identity and rights, a notion that Trump dismissed outright. The President also hinted at a potential Israeli annexation of the West Bank within the next month.

    International law is clear: forcibly transferring people from their land constitutes a crime against humanity. Annexation would violate Palestinians' fundamental right to self-determination, a cornerstone of international law. Nations worldwide condemned Trump's actions as a blatant disregard for these principles.

    The United Nations General Assembly must now act to uphold its duty under international law by abstaining from any actions enabling Israel's continued occupation of Palestine. This means halting shipments of weapons to Israel, including the billion-dollar arms package that Trump has prepared. The U.S., in particular, is required to stop sending bombs, rifles, ammunition, and Caterpillar bulldozers.

    The Biden administration has continued this trend, with Congressional Democrats allowing massive arms sales to Israel, including an $18 billion deal in June 2024. This has enabled Israel's sixteen-month killing spree against Palestinians.

    Pankaj Mishra, an Indian essayist and novelist, highlights the dark reality of international weapons peddling in his book The World After Gaza: "There is something sick and rotten about states and societies that not only support and enable mass killings but also make money off them."

    Grassroots groups worldwide are campaigning to uphold international laws and resist governments supporting Israel's slaughter and destruction of Palestinians. In Ireland, activists have protested the use of Shannon Airport for military purposes since 2003. Beginning in summer 2024, protesters held weekly demonstrations demanding that the Irish government stop allowing the transport of weapons or equipment to Israel's military.

    The International Federation for Human Rights notes that the European Union is Israel's largest trade partner, accounting for 29% of trade in goods in 2022. A coalition of over 160 human rights organizations and civil society groups has called on the European Commission to ban all trade with Israel's illegal settlements in the West Bank.

    Robert Jereski, an attorney working with anti-war group Code Pink, emphasizes that despite the January ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Israel's renewed offensives mark a shift towards genocidal tactics. The Israeli military has escalated arrests and restrictions while settlement expansion continues at an unprecedented pace.

    Trump's statements underscore the urgent need for the United Nations General Assembly to hold an emergency meeting to judge whether the U.S. has failed as an impartial arbiter and is, instead, party to the genocide in Gaza. The UNGA can also decide whether to suspend the U.S.'s veto power in the U.N. Security Council on matters pertaining to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    As Pankaj Mishra observes, there is something sick and rotten about enabling and profiting from mass killings. It's time for U.N. member states to fulfill their obligations under international law and uphold the founding mission of the United Nations: to eradicate war for future generations.