US as Guarantor Must End Israel’s Gaza Genocide

As US President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago on Monday, the fragile Gaza ceasefire, brokered under American auspices, hung by a thread, frayed by repeated Israeli violations that have killed hundreds and drawn sharp rebukes from UN human rights experts. The United States, positioned as the guarantor of this truce, faces an urgent imperative, to rein in Israel’s actions or risk the total collapse of a deal it championed as a cornerstone of Middle East stability. Yet amid soaring arms sales to Israel and dismissal of International Criminal Court warrants, Washington’s commitment rings hollow, exposing a stark hypocrisy in its peacemaking rhetoric.

The Gaza ceasefire first phase emerged from intense negotiations led by the Trump administration, marking what was hailed as a breakthrough in a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since October 2023. Under the agreement’s phased structure, Hamas committed to releasing hostages, while Israel pledged a phased withdrawal of troops and eased restrictions on humanitarian aid. The US State Department positioned itself explicitly as the deal’s guarantor, promising to enforce compliance from both sides. But from the outset, reports of Israeli breaches mounted, with airstrikes, ground incursions, and aid blockages undermining the truce’s core provisions.

By late November, Gaza health authorities documented nearly 500 Israeli violations in just 44 days, resulting in hundreds of Palestinian deaths. UN human rights experts issued stark warnings in November 2025, urging global powers, including the US, to act as these infractions threatened the “fragile” peace. Incidents included deadly raids in Beit Lahiya and strikes on civilian areas, often justified by Israel as responses to minor Hamas provocations. Critics, including Palestinian officials, argue these operations exceed the ceasefire’s allowances, turning a supposed truce into a license for continued attrition warfare.

President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, unveiled in October, envisioned a demilitarized Gaza under multinational oversight, with US-backed reconstruction tied to Hamas’s dissolution. Yet as Netanyahu arrived in Florida, fresh reports emerged of Israeli forces killing 97 Palestinians in alleged ceasefire violations, echoing patterns from October when Israel halted aid flows citing Hamas non-compliance. The timing of the Mar-a-Lago summit, amid stalled hostage releases and escalating violence, underscores the guarantor’s inertia. Trump’s administration has issued mild statements calling for restraint, but no concrete penalties have materialized, fueling accusations of bias.

This inaction contrasts sharply with America’s unparalleled military support for Israel. Since the ceasefire’s inception, the US has approved over $20 billion in arms sales, including precision-guided munitions used in ongoing genocide of Palestinian in Gaza. In December 2025 alone, shipments of 2,000-pound bombs, criticized for their indiscriminate impact in densely populated areas, continued unabated. These transfers violate US assurances of using weapons only for self-defense, as documented in State Department reports. While Hamas faces sanctions, Israel’s arsenal swells, enabling violations that a true guarantor would curb.

The hypocrisy deepens with Washington’s stance on international law. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2025 for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and Palestinian Genocide in Gaza, including starvation tactics and civilian targeting. Yet the US, which deems the ICC illegitimate, has ignored these warrants, continuing high-level engagements with the accused leaders. Congress, dominated by pro-Israel voices, passed resolutions condemning the court while blocking aid conditions tied to human rights. This selective blindness undermines the US claim to impartial guarantor status, prioritizing alliance over accountability.

Historical precedents abound, the US played a similar role in the 2014 Gaza truce, only to watch violations proliferate without repercussions. Today, as Storm Byron flooded Gaza’s tent cities in December, exposing the lie of reconstruction progress, Israeli forces shelled relief convoys, killing aid workers. UN reports detail over 1,000 post-ceasefire deaths, mostly civilians, with US-supplied F-35 jets implicated in many strikes. Guarantor obligations under the agreement demand verification mechanisms, yet American oversight remains perfunctory, limited to public exhortations.

Netanyahu’s visit to Trump arrives at a pivotal juncture. Discussions reportedly center on expanding the ceasefire to phase two, involving full Israeli withdrawal and Gaza governance reforms. But with Israeli settlements encroaching in the West Bank and Gaza buffer zones widening, trust evaporates. Palestinian factions, backed by Qatar and Egypt, accuse the US of greenlighting violations to weaken Hamas ahead of elections. Trump’s “peace through strength” doctrine, favoring Israel, clashes with guarantor duties, as evidenced by his administration’s veto of UN Security Council resolutions condemning the breaches.

Legal scholars argue that as guarantor, the US bears responsibility under international law to prevent violations, per the Vienna Convention on treaties. Failure invites escalation, Hamas has hinted at resuming rocket fire, while Hezbollah tensions simmer. European allies, frustrated by American inaction, have begun independent aid corridors, bypassing US-Israeli restrictions. Yet without Washington’s leverage, its annual $3.8 billion in aid to Israel, the truce crumbles.

The human toll defies comprehension. In Gaza’s north, families huddle in ruins as drones buzz overhead, a daily reminder of unenforced peace. Doctors without Borders reported in December 2025 that ceasefire violations have crippled hospitals, with fuel shortages, imposed by Israel, leading to infant deaths in incubators. These are not anomalies but patterns: 386 killed in one 24-hour span dubbed “ceasefire fraud“ by monitors. US diplomats acknowledge the violations privately but publicly defend Israel’s “right to self-defense,” perpetuating the cycle.

Arms sales amplify the contradiction. Boeing and Lockheed Martin contracts surged post-ceasefire, with JDAM kits converting unguided bombs into “smart” weapons deployed in violation hotspots. A leaked State Department cable from October revealed concerns over “disproportionate” use, yet approvals proceeded. This militarization, totaling $38 billion since 2023, equips Israel for escalation, not restraint, mocking the guarantor’s pledge.

ICC warrants expose the legal farce. Netanyahu’s indictment for “extermination” and “starvation as warfare” stems from Gaza genocide evidence, including US-monitored operations. Trump’s dismissal “witch hunt,” mirrors his first term’s sanctions on ICC prosecutors. Congress’s Israel Anti-Boycott Act further shields violators, criminalizing BDS while arms flow freely. International law, selectively enforced, erodes US credibility globally

Stakeholders urge action. Qatar’s prime minister warned Trump directly, enforce or lose the deal. Egypt mediates aid but decries US hypocrisy. UNRWA, despite defunding attempts, tallies violations daily. Eastern Herald archives detail the pattern, from Gaza atrocities to ceasefire collapse in Beit Lahiya, proving systemic failure. Nearly 500 Israeli violations in 44 days underscore the urgency.

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago summit offers a last chance. A joint statement could impose timelines, halt violations, resume aid, advance phase two. But Netanyahu’s domestic politics, coalition pressure for hardline stances, complicate matters. Without US pressure, Gaza’s millions endure indefinite limbo, hostages untaken, reconstruction stalled.

The path forward demands candor. America must condition aid on compliance, engage the ICC constructively, and deploy monitors. Ignoring violations invites broader war, Iran proxies lurk, Lebanon simmers. As guarantor, the US cannot cherry-pick obligations, peace requires enforcing the deal it birthed. Otherwise, Gaza’s tragedy persists, a testament to unfulfilled guarantees.