Without U.S. Support It Wouldn’t Have Happened
The United States under the Biden and Trump administrations has provided at least $21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel since the start of the Gaza war two years ago, according to a new academic study published by the Costs of War project at Brown University’s Watson School of International and Public Affairs.
The study also says the United States has spent roughly $10 billion more on security aid and operations in the broader Middle East in the past two years.
Without the support of U.S. weapons paid for by every American, Israel could not have dropped more than 70,000 tons of bombs on the civilian infrastructure of Gaza, killing and maiming many thousands of Palestinians. Locally and throughout the United States over the past two years, there have been ongoing protests and vigils organized by people of conscience objecting to U.S. support for Israel and the genocide in Gaza.
Local Protests Continue
Recently, more than 100 teachers throughout the United States participated in a hunger strike organized by Educators for Palestine, a caucus of the National Education Association. The fast was part of a nationwide hunger strike among educators to call upon the government to ensure the delivery of food and other humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Anoush, a Fresno High School English teacher who participated in the hunger strike, told CBS47 on Oct. 8, “It’s important for our students to see teachers’ words translated into action. We teach stories about injustice. We ask them to be courageous, to do what they think is right. It’s important for them to see their teachers model that integrity.”
Local organizations such as Peace Fresno, the Mennonite Community Church and Raza Against War rallied in support of the hunger strikers in front of the school. Speakers addressed the students from across the street as the school’s administration attempted to drown out their voices.
Stan Santos from Raza Against War told GV Wire on Oct. 8, “It’s interesting how our school site will talk about what it means to be international, but they will play music to drown out free speech and empathy for people that are dying. This generation of young people, we believe, are opening their eyes because they’re looking at all different types of media.”
Peace Fresno President Dan Yaseen addressed the students: “Many of us are doing the bare minimum to put pressure on our government. We have to do more to end this 21st century atrocity.”
Mike McKeever of the Mennonite Community Church stated that “a child has been killed every hour in Gaza. The truth about injustice must be told. Reconciliation is only possible when oppression ends.”
Aisha, a Fresno High teacher who joined the demonstration, noted that “events like this, when you are trying to make a statement, are good. It makes students think and have empathy.”
Several students joined the protest. Giselle, a Fresno High senior, said, “I am the daughter of Hmong refugees. I have seen genocide happen to my family. The least I can do is show up.”
Eva, also a senior, said, “I am very passionate about what is happening to the children of Gaza. I think it’s crazy that some people don’t even know this is going on.”
Johanna, another senior, said, “I really don’t agree with the school trying to censor our voices. As the new generation, our voices are really important right now!”
Ceasefire Agreement Violations
Although Palestinians, Israelis and the people of the world are celebrating the Oct. 8 ceasefire agreement, many question whether the agreement will hold and if there will ever be a Palestinian state. Already, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has violated the ceasefire.
Al Jazeera reported that on Oct. 14 the Israeli military killed nine Palestinians returning to check on their homes in Gaza City and northern Khan Younis in the first major violation of the ceasefire agreement.
In response, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese posted on X: “Ceasefire according to Israel: ‘you cease, I fire.’ Calling it ‘peace’ is both an insult and a distraction.”
Moreover, Israel announced on Oct. 14 that it would not abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement related to humanitarian aid, claiming that Hamas violated the deal regarding the release of the bodies of dead Israeli captives.
On October 20, Democracy Now reported more cease-fire violations. Forty Palestinians were killed in Gaza the day before, bringing the total to 100 killed since the agreement was implemented. Later the same day, it was reported that Israel would again lift the blockade and abide by the ceasefire.
In a statement, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the branch of the Israeli military that oversees the West Bank and Gaza, said that “starting [Oct. 14] only half of the agreed number of trucks, 300 trucks, will be allowed to enter. No fuel or gas will be allowed into the Strip, except for specific needs related to humanitarian infrastructure.”
Two Years of Death and Destruction
Between Oct. 7, 2023, and mid-October 2025, the Gaza Ministry of Health and the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have reported 67,173 deaths in Gaza. Gaza’s Ministry of Health provided a demographic breakdown of those fatalities: 20,179 children (30%), 10,427 women (16%), 4,813 elderly (7%) and 31,754 men (47%).
The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect stated in July 2025 that an estimated 14,000 more individuals are missing or likely buried under the rubble. A UN assessment has found that it could take more than 15 years to clear almost 40 million tons of rubble at a cost of $600 million.
Will the Plan Succeed?
Many progressive commentators and groups view the 20-point Gaza peace plan with skepticism and criticism, arguing that it undermines Palestinian sovereignty and self-determination.
Entities such as Common Dreams and Progressive International argue that the plan echoes a colonial past by placing Gaza under temporary international control rather than immediately empowering Palestinian self-governance. They criticize the creation of a “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump and featuring figures like Tony Blair, viewing it as a top-down imposition rather than a negotiation among equals.
Upon review, the plan offers only the possibility of a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” after numerous conditions are met.
The plan is criticized for having been developed without direct input from the Palestinian leadership, excluding them from the process of determining their own future. Analysts characterize the framework as an ultimatum that imposes conditions rather than a negotiated settlement and that the plan fails to definitively address the core issues of Palestinian sovereignty and an end to the occupation.
The focus is instead on security and economic redevelopment under international oversight. Progressive International describes the proposal as a “blueprint for the accelerated colonization of Palestine” that reduces Palestinians to “objects of management rather than subjects of history.”
To date, only the first phase of the peace plan is being implemented. The future of the agreement depends on many factors, including the commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and an end to the ongoing occupation.
Minimally, the Israeli government must provide all necessary water, food, medical aid, fuel, tents and other humanitarian aid immediately. Also, the IDF must stop attacking and killing Palestinian civilians. The United States must ensure this happens now.
