On Friday, October 10, 2025, the ceasefire took effect. After 735 days, tens of thousands of the two million displaced Palestinians began the painful walk home—some to rubble, others to houses barely standing. After two full years of relentless bombardment, more than ten percent of Gaza’s population was either killed or injured.

Over 81,000 were reported killed, including 67,000 confirmed dead and 14,000 missing and presumed dead. Among them: 20,000 children, 22,000 women, and 22,000 fathers. At least 1,000 infants under one year old perished—one Palestinian child every hour for two years.

The medical sector was systematically targeted: 1,670 medics and 140 civil defense workers killed, 125 health facilities destroyed, and 34 hospitals reduced to ruins. Gaza’s health system, once fragile, was deliberately annihilated.

Starvation became a weapon of war. At least 459 people, including 154 children, died of hunger. In their search for food aid, 2,600 more were killed and 19,000 injured. To silence witnesses, 254 journalists were targeted and killed.

The destruction extended to Gaza’s mind and soul. Over 2,300 educational institutions—92% of all schools—were destroyed. Among the dead: 13,500 students, 830 teachers, and 193 scientists. Religious and cultural life was desecrated as 835 mosques and three churches were leveled. Even the dead were not spared: 40 cemeteries were obliterated and 2,450 bodies stolen from graves.

In total, 300,000 housing units were demolished and 200,000 more damaged beyond repair. Over 10,800 Palestinians languish in Israeli prisons under inhumane conditions, including 450 children and 87 women. During these 24 months of genocide, Israel dropped more than 200,000 tons of explosives on Gaza—the equivalent of six nuclear bombs. The estimated cost of devastation exceeds $70 billion across vital sectors.

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The Moral Collapse of Israel

What did Israel gain from two years of annihilation? It became a pariah among nations, its moral fabric shredded. As Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University observed, “The Israeli society has become deranged… no widespread concern about genocide. The only discussion is about the 20 hostages.”

The societal cost of a country that celebrated a genocide yet cannot reflect on it is immeasurable. The destruction of Gaza mirrored the destruction of Israel’s own conscience.

The language of extermination became normalized. Aharon Haliva, Israel’s former head of military intelligence, declared that “50 Palestinians must die for every Israeli”and that the death of children was “necessary as a message to future generations.”He added chillingly, “They need a Nakba every now and then to feel the price.”

Even more disturbing, surveys show that a majority of Israeli Jews supported the expulsion of Arab citizens of Israel—and nearly half endorsed a biblical model of conquest akin to Jericho: “to kill all its inhabitants.” Such rhetoric exposes a deep moral rot, a society increasingly comfortable with the language of ethnic cleansing.

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The Unbroken Spirit of Gaza

And yet, Gaza endured. The world has recognized the legitimacy of Palestinian resistance as a struggle for liberation and an end to occupation. The myth of Israel’s “invincible army” lies shattered. The long-dreamed “transfer” of Palestinians never materialized.

Gaza liberated the world from the theological fiction that one nation was “chosen” to rule another. The events of these two years stripped away illusions: Israeli political and military leaders have revealed themselves not as defenders of faith, but as perpetrators of mass murder.

Palestinian leadership will be decided by Palestinians—not imposed by occupiers or patrons. The right of return remains alive, burning in the hearts of refugees across the diaspora.

And so, when asked, “Why can’t you live in peace, side by side?”, the answer is painfully clear: peace cannot coexist with occupation. The colonizer seeks not coexistence, but erasure—piece by piece, life by life.

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Dawn After Darkness

Every genocide leaves behind not only ruins but testimony. Gaza’s testimony is one of faith, endurance, and defiance. Its people have shown the world that dignity cannot be bombed out of existence.

The darkest moment, indeed, is the one before dawn. And from the ashes of Gaza, the light of justice will eventually rise.