The Israel-Gaza war continues with escalating violence, deepening political disputes, and growing international criticism, while U.S. involvement faces increasing scrutiny amid the upcoming presidential election.

The Israel-Gaza war continues to rage, with a devastating toll. Over 40,000 people have been killed, and well over 90,000 have been wounded in Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Most of the casualties are women and children. The Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, which precipitated the current war, resulted in an estimated 1,189 Israeli deaths, and around 250 people were taken hostage by Hamas, according to Israeli reports.

Since then, the entire population of Gaza—2.3 million people—has been displaced, and the enclave now faces a severe hunger crisis. Israel faces genocide allegations at the World Court, charges that it denies. One particularly deadly strike on August 31 killed at least 48 people in the Gaza Strip.

Emergency services in Gaza are struggling. Israeli forces continue to block ambulance and civil defense crews from reaching many of the wounded or recovering bodies, leaving casualties trapped under rubble or lying on the streets of the devastated enclave.

Humanitarian workers have also suffered heavy losses. Over 280 aid workers, most of them Gazan employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), have been killed since the war began. In April, Israeli drones targeted a convoy of trucks from the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, killing seven aid workers. This reckless attack has only added to mounting criticism of Israel’s military operations.

Meanwhile, violence in the West Bank has escalated since the October 7 Hamas attack. Although the West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since 1967 and has seen regular outbreaks of violence, the current conflict has worsened the situation. Israeli bulldozers have torn up roads, kicking up clouds of dust across targeted areas. Although the Israeli military is forbidden from entering West Bank cities and refugee camps, which are under the control of the Palestinian Authority, these areas have become scenes of intense conflict.

In the ten months leading up to October 7, the United Nations recorded the deaths of 200 Palestinians at the hands of Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank, the highest death toll in any comparable period since 2005. Since the war’s escalation, an additional 640 Palestinians have been killed, according to the UN. The West Bank is home to three million Palestinians and half a million Israeli Jews living in settlements considered illegal under international law.

On August 28, Israel launched its largest military offensive in the West Bank since 2002, with raids killing at least 19 Palestinians. Tensions remain high, with over 670 Palestinians killed, 5,400 injured, and more than 10,300 arrested. International criticism of Israel’s operations is intensifying.

Political disputes in Israel and the U.S.

The war has also sparked serious disputes within Israel’s leadership. A heated argument broke out between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on August 29 over the terms of a potential hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza. At the heart of the dispute is the Philadelphi Corridor, an 8.7-mile strip along the Gaza-Egypt border controlled by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Hamas has demanded Israeli troops withdraw from the corridor as part of any ceasefire agreement, but Netanyahu has resisted, further eroding his support within his government.

In the U.S., the war has complicated the political landscape, particularly for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Speaking to CNN on August 29, Harris expressed support for a ceasefire and a hostage release deal in Gaza while reaffirming her commitment to Israel’s defense. Harris’s steadfast backing of Israel, however, is fueling discontent among pro-Palestinian groups and threatening to spark protests at her campaign events, universities, and public gatherings.

As expected, Arab Americans, Muslims, and their allies were denied a speaking platform at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Demonstrations are now planned across major cities and university campuses to mark the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack. Harris’s firm stance on Israel risks deepening divisions within the Democratic Party, potentially weakening the coalition of voters she needs to win the 2024 election.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress, strongly criticized Harris’s position, stating: “War crimes and genocide will continue.” Although Harris’s campaign claims it has engaged with pro-Palestinian advocates, dissatisfaction remains high. Protests, particularly at universities like Columbia, are intensifying, and Democratic insiders are concerned that Harris may lose crucial votes, especially in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania.

A shifting global perspective

The war has eroded U.S. credibility as an honest broker in the Middle East. While the Biden administration attempts to mediate a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, its simultaneous support for Israel’s military efforts has drawn widespread criticism. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s repeated trips to the region and negotiations in Cairo led by Egypt and Qatar have so far failed to produce results, with both Hamas and Israel blaming each other for the impasse.

The U.S.’s strong backing of Israel has left it increasingly isolated on the global stage, particularly in the Global South, where public opinion is turning against Israel’s actions. Biden’s reluctance to pressure Israel into stopping the violence is widely seen as a political calculation influenced by the upcoming presidential election. Despite calls for action, the Biden administration seems unlikely to take steps to halt the bloodshed, and the U.S. risks further alienation in the Middle East.

As many analysts argue, a two-state solution remains the only viable path to peace, but the Israeli government shows no signs of pursuing this option. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to enable Israel’s military campaign, even as its global standing diminishes.

In this complex and tragic situation, only decisive action by the U.S. could stop Israel’s aggression in Gaza and the West Bank. However, given the political dynamics of the upcoming election, it is unlikely that the Biden administration will act soon. The cost to America is likely to further erode its influence in the Middle East and beyond.