Poonam Sharma
As the Gaza war continues unabated with no indication of easing, things have taken a very ugly turn. On August 6, 2025, Israeli troops allegedly bombed a United Nations clinic housing displaced civilians in Gaza City, killing 23 Palestinians since morning. The death toll within Gaza, as per humanitarian organizations and reports on the ground, has now reached a whopping 61,020, with 150,671 injured.
This most recent attack on a UN facility—a venue deemed neutral and under the protection of international law—has provoked international condemnation and fresh criticism of Israel’s military operations.
UN approach
UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca issued a stern warning to the UN Security Council, describing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intentions to fully occupy Gaza as “deeply alarming.” He underscored that this approach contravenes several humanitarian conventions and has the potential to spark a broader regional war. Seconding this view, European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera went a step further, describing Netanyahu’s intentions as “an unacceptable provocation.”
The European Union, long as walked a tightrope between enunciating its support for Israel’s right to defend itself and denouncing civilian deaths, is showing signs of losing patience. Officials within the bloc are said to be pondering sanctions or suspending arms sales to Israel if tensions escalate any further.
In contrast, the United States, led by President Donald Trump, has again reasserted its strong backing of Israel. When asked whether Netanyahu had expressed a desire to fully occupy Gaza, Trump replied that “it’s pretty much up to Israel” to decide. The vagueness of this position—essentially giving Israel a blank check—has angered deeply many of America’s allies and further strengthened Netanyahu’s domestic position.
Shifting Sands in the Muslim World
In the face of mounting casualties and repeated attacks on civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, Muslim-majority nations around the globe are speaking out in increasingly strident opposition. Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, and Algeria have all made forcefully worded condemnations, while Kuwait and Qatar have convened emergency meetings of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
There is nonetheless a visible fissure in the Arab world. As the street demonstrations in cities such as Amman, Cairo, and Casablanca express deep-seated resentment of Israel’s military campaigns, Arab governments are holding back. Nations such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, which have recently normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, are treading a diplomatic tightrope.
Their subdued reactions betoken fear—fear of Israel’s expanding military and intelligence supremacy, and fear of retaliatory economic sanctions by the West. Israeli technological reach, especially in cyber-surveillance, drone warfare, and aerial defense systems, has increasingly kept overt Arab involvement at bay, cornering them politically. The Arab street is observing and recalling.
Strikes Extend to Syria: Israel Targets Hezbollah Operative
Adding to the complicated regional dynamics, the Israeli military took credit for an airstrike in Syria against Hezbollah operative Hossam Qasem Ghorab. Israeli reports indicate that Ghorab was leading rocket-launching cells from Syrian soil against the Israeli-held Golan Heights.
This action is indicative of Israel’s expanding war theater—not just battling Hamas in Gaza, but at the same time pre-emptively striking what it perceives as threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria. Analysts caution that such an action could enrage Hezbollah into full-scale reprisal, potentially opening a northern front. That the Israeli military chose to make public this strike indicates that it is seeking to convey a deterrent message, regionally and internationally.
Netanyahu’s Online Popularity Soars Despite Global Backlash
In an irony that characterizes the contemporary digital era, social media popularity for Benjamin Netanyahu is on the rise, and especially among right-wing and pro-Zionist factions. His uncompromising stance, strong image, and consistent harping on “annihilating terror” have struck a chord with significant segments of the Israeli population and global conservative societies.
Footage of Netanyahu visiting soldiers, speaking to the nation with heart-wrenching appeals, and appealing to Israel’s long-standing right to defend itself has become virally popular. Fans on social media networks such as X (previously Twitter), TikTok, and Telegram are praising him as a “defender of Western civilization” against Islamic extremism as they see it.
This virtual narrative war matters. While mainstream media fixate on humanitarian abuses and legal repercussions of Israel’s conduct, social media provides a parallel world where Netanyahu becomes a war hero embracing a biblical fate. This online backing has assisted in tempering some of the diplomatic heat he has been receiving and might already be affecting the lukewarm responses of Western leaders such as Trump.
A Dangerous Precipice
In spite of Netanyahu’s growing online influence and backing from hardline allies, Israel’s moves are driving the region toward a perilous cliff edge. The bombing of a UN facility is a significant international red line that has been crossed. The international legal framework—created to guard civilian infrastructure—is based on collective enforcement. But up until now, enforcement is lacking.
The Gaza humanitarian disaster, the possible creation of new fronts against Hezbollah and potentially even Iranian proxies, and increasing disillusionment among Arab youth are all coming together into a perfect storm.
As Netanyahu takes the crest of the tide of nationalist passion, the world is forced to wonder: At what price? Can Israel really “win” a conflict that has already claimed more than 60,000 dead, destroyed whatever faith remained in international norms, and awakened a generation of bitterness in the Arab and Muslim world?
Unless there are immediate diplomatic moves—and unless major powers call to account all parties involved—this conflict will not only devour Gaza. It may reshape the Middle East’s security structure and incite unrest far wider than its borders.
