In her latest column, Maleeha Lodhi highlights how former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent diplomatic manoeuvres in the Middle East have significantly marginalised Israel, deepening tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv while exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Lodhi outlines a sharp divergence between Trump’s recent regional strategy and Israel’s far-right agenda, raising concerns about the implications for peace, stability, and international law.
During a three-nation visit to the Middle East, Trump took a series of bold steps that, according to Lodhi, “certainly would have troubled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.” He lifted sanctions on Syria, met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa—once targeted by a U.S. bounty—and praised Turkey’s President Erdogan, a known adversary of Israel. Ignoring Netanyahu’s objections, Trump also secured a ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis and negotiated directly with Hamas for the release of an American hostage in Gaza.
Perhaps most provocatively, Trump began pursuing direct nuclear negotiations with Iran—Israel’s chief nemesis. Lodhi warns that this step “would have worried Tel Aviv the most,” as Israel has vehemently opposed any rapprochement with Tehran. The Israeli leadership, fearing marginalisation, is reportedly preparing for potential strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Lodhi cautions, “If Israel takes this reckless course, it would sabotage Trump’s diplomatic efforts and damage Netanyahu’s relations with Washington.”
Quoting journalist Kim Ghattas from the Financial Times, Lodhi notes that Trump’s approach is “springing surprises on Netanyahu [and] cutting Israel out of the deals it is making.” The Israeli prime minister, she writes, has been reduced to a “spectator,” as Trump appears to be redefining alliances in the region. Despite the long-standing U.S.-Israel alliance, Lodhi underscores that “Trump’s patience with Netanyahu was running out.”
Yet, Trump has been unable—or unwilling—to restrain Israel’s relentless war in Gaza. Lodhi emphasises that while the U.S. administration has publicly signalled frustration, including warning Netanyahu that he would be “on his own” if the war continues, Israel has only escalated its military offensive. “With Palestinians being killed every day by air strikes,” she writes, “Netanyahu has threatened to take over all of Gaza ostensibly to ‘destroy Hamas once and for all.’”
Lodhi explains that this campaign—dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots”—is driving Palestinians out of Gaza through force. She asserts, “Forcible displacement of people outside Gaza has long been Netanyahu’s aim.” This, she argues, is not just a military strategy but an attempt to fundamentally alter the demographic and political future of the Palestinian territories.
The humanitarian cost has been catastrophic. Lodhi warns, “This has created a catastrophic situation and worsened the humanitarian crisis, forcing millions of Gazans into starvation.” UN Secretary General António Guterres described the situation as “beyond description, beyond atrocious and beyond inhumane,” and warned that “the entire population is facing the risk of famine.”
Even Israel’s Western allies have turned critical. France, the UK, and Canada condemned the escalation and threatened sanctions, while the EU is reviewing its trade ties with Israel. In a powerful quote from Amnesty International, Lodhi notes: “It is outrageous and morally reprehensible that it took the world nearly 80 days of broadcast starvation and cruelty amidst genocide to exert enough pressure on Israel.”
Despite international outcry, efforts to broker a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have stalled in Doha. Vice President J.D. Vance even cancelled a planned visit to Israel amid frustration with its intransigence. Lodhi points out that Netanyahu “has little interest in a truce,” having unilaterally broken the last ceasefire and vowing to continue until achieving “total victory.”
Adding to the controversy is a U.S.-backed Israeli plan to militarise humanitarian aid. Lodhi notes that it includes establishing distribution hubs, managed by a Swiss firm and secured by private contractors. The UN and other aid agencies have rejected this plan outright. “The UN has denounced the plan as a tool for more displacement, which is a war crime,” she writes, quoting the UN aid chief who said it “makes starvation a bargaining chip.”
Perhaps most disturbingly, Lodhi quotes Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s chilling statement: “The goal is to ‘destroy everything that’s left of the Gaza Strip’” and force the population to relocate, aligning with what Lodhi calls “President Trump’s plan.”
In conclusion, Lodhi stresses that Washington must urgently clarify whether this alleged population transfer is truly part of Trump’s strategy. “If untrue,” she writes, “it would put pressure on Israel to stop the offensive. If true, it would make a mockery of the image Trump is seeking to cultivate as a man of peace.”
