Since the outbreak of the Gaza war on 7 October 2023, Washington has made its position clear: full and unconditional support for Israel.

This support has encompassed financial aid, weapons, intelligence-sharing and political and diplomatic cover, to the point that the US appears to be a direct party to the conflict rather than merely an “ally” or “mediator".

Gaza at the heart of the imperial project

Beneath this declared support lies a deeper reality: Washington does not view Gaza simply as a local battlefield between Israel and the Palestinians, but as a strategic platform to reaffirm its military and political dominance in a rapidly changing world, where emerging powers such as China, Russia and Iran are gaining influence.

In this context, Gaza is more than a Palestinian or humanitarian issue; it is a card in a broader geopolitical game, a tool for reproducing US imperialism in the 21st century, and a message to the world that the US still holds the upper hand, even as the global balance of power shifts.

Unconditional support as a tool of dominance

Since Israel’s founding in 1948, the United States has been its largest strategic partner. However, what we are witnessing in the Gaza war goes beyond traditional alliance dynamics. Washington has sent hundreds of shipments of advanced weaponry, including bombs capable of devastating residential areas, provided direct intelligence support via satellites and drones, and even deployed aircraft carriers to the Eastern Mediterranean in a deliberate show of strength.

Moreover, the US has repeatedly used its veto power in the UN Security Council to block any resolution condemning Israel or calling for a ceasefire. This stance is not a defence of Israel’s “right to self-defence”, as often claimed, but a political message: the US dictates the course of events and has the authority to reshape international law to suit its interests.

At its core, this unconditional support is not just about protecting Israel, it is about reproducing the image of America as a force above ethics and law, capable of shielding its allies regardless of the crimes they commit.

Gaza as a platform for military display

The war in Gaza has provided the US with an opportunity to demonstrate military dominance through Israel. While Israel appears to be the primary actor on the ground, much of its military capability stems directly from US support: from advanced weaponry to defensive systems like the Iron Dome, from logistical backing to operational management of air campaigns.

The messages, however, are not directed solely at the Palestinians. They are meant for Washington’s regional and international rivals:

• Iran receives a clear signal of deterrence: any attempt to expand its regional influence will face overwhelming force.
• Russia is reminded that its preoccupation with Ukraine does not grant it free rein in the Middle East.
• China is warned that efforts to expand its presence, especially through the Belt and Road Initiative, will encounter limits imposed by US power.

Even the deployment of US aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean, although not directly linked to the situation in Gaza, serves as a strategic display: the US remains the world’s leading naval power, capable of rapid intervention anywhere. Gaza, in this sense, is not merely a local battleground, but a geopolitical stage for reaffirming dominance.

Political and diplomatic control

US dominance is not limited to military might; it extends into politics and diplomacy. Washington has leveraged its influence to thwart any international initiatives to stop the war. Europe has appeared divided and unable to act, while Arab states remain constrained by their complex relationships with the US.

Crucially, Washington has turned the Security Council and the UN General Assembly into arenas demonstrating its ability to control international law. It blocks any resolution that does not align with its interests and promotes those that justify the war under the guise of “combating terrorism".

This capacity to reshape legitimacy according to its own interests transforms US support for Israel from mere alliance into a political instrument signalling that Washington is the ultimate decision-maker in global affairs.

Subjugating regional actors

Washington does not stop at managing its relationship with Israel; it uses the war as a means to subjugate regional actors. Arab states, some of which attempted to express solidarity with the Palestinians, found themselves hemmed in by American red lines: no substantial military support, no independent diplomatic initiatives.

Iran, in particular, has been directly threatened: any attempt to open a new front or intervene would be met with overwhelming US retaliation. Gaza thus becomes a “stage for deterrence” against Iran, more than a war against Palestinians.

Even Turkey, which tries to balance its pro-Palestinian rhetoric with alliances in the West, is confined within limits, wary of jeopardising its strategic relations with Washington.

In this light, the Gaza war is not simply an Israeli-Palestinian confrontation but a US-engineered mechanism to keep the region under control and ensure the continued dependence of Arab states on American economic and military power.

The imperial dimension of the war

Contemporary imperialism is no longer about direct territorial occupation, as it was in previous centuries. Instead, it is the management of a full system of control through allies, economics, media and international institutions. In this context, Israel functions as the “military proxy” of the US project, while Gaza becomes a testing ground for global power dynamics.

• Militarily: The war serves as a testing ground for new weapons and technologies, generating massive profits for American arms manufacturers.
• Politically: The conflict demonstrates that Washington still possesses the capacity to impose its will on the international community.
• Economically: The ongoing conflict ensures that the region remains a lucrative market for US weapons and a monitored source of energy.
• Media-wise: The narrative is managed in the West to justify Israel’s actions and demonise Palestinians, reflecting US control over global media and communication networks.

Gaza between extermination and resistance

While Gaza serves as a platform for US dominance, Palestinians bear the brunt: mass killings, famine, complete destruction of infrastructure and mass displacement. Yet, this tragedy also carries another dimension: the ongoing resistance, which has become a global symbol of defiance against imperialism.

This paradox, between devastation and resilience, reveals the limits of American power. Washington may display strength through war, but it cannot extinguish the spirit of resistance, neither in Gaza nor in other arenas around the world.

Does Gaza expose the limits of US dominance?

Despite all these mechanisms of control, the Gaza war also exposes the vulnerabilities of American imperialism. Washington’s moral image has been severely eroded, and student protests in US universities recall the anti-Vietnam War movements. Across the Arab and Muslim worlds, public anger is mounting, threatening the stability of pro-American regimes.

On the international stage, US isolation grows as powers like China and Russia attempt to exploit the conflict to demonstrate the failure of a unipolar world order. Even in Europe, voices increasingly question the wisdom of complete compliance with American policies.

In this sense, Gaza may serve as a temporary display of US power, but it also reveals its limits, exposing an imperial project that is increasingly strained rather than triumphant.

Palestinian blood between imperialism and the future of the world

US support for Israel in the Gaza war is not simply a strategic alliance; it is a key instrument in a project to reaffirm global dominance. The war is used to deter rivals, subjugate allies, reshape international law and display Washington as an unchallengeable power.

Yet, this war, with all its humanitarian tragedies, may also mark the beginning of the erosion of the American imperial project. Washington’s moral authority is collapsing, public anger is intensifying and international rivals are growing stronger. While the US seeks to use Gaza as a card of power, Gaza itself is becoming a global symbol of resistance to imperialism and, perhaps, the start of a new phase in international relations, where Palestinian blood is no longer a minor detail of a local conflict, but a mirror reflecting the dynamics and limits of the global order.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.