A U.S. congressman's recent call for a nuclear strike on Gaza has sparked outrage, with Palestinians denouncing it as an open call for genocide. The comments, made by Republican Randy Fine during a Fox News interview, compared the situation in Gaza to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, suggesting such devastation is the path to “peace.” For Palestinians, these remarks are not just inflammatory—they lay bare the dehumanisation that underpins international complicity in their suffering.

Fine’s words, which include branding the Palestinian cause as “evil,” reflect a growing trend of overt incitement by Western politicians who treat Palestinian lives as expendable. His history of anti-Arab rhetoric and disdain for humanitarian appeals shows a disturbing comfort with the language of extermination, cloaked in the guise of national security.

This is not an isolated episode but rather the latest in a series of verbal assaults that echo the violence on the ground. When political leaders in powerful nations speak so carelessly about wiping out entire populations, they legitimise and embolden those committing atrocities. They also strip away the remaining façade of neutrality in conflicts where the victims are overwhelmingly Palestinian.

The resilience of Gaza’s people has been forged through years of siege, bombardment, and neglect. No nuclear threat can erase their will to exist or their demand for justice. But such statements serve as chilling reminders of how far some are willing to go to silence them.