After 471 days of relentless carnage, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded over 111,000. According to The Lancet, up to 186,000 deaths may ultimately be attributed to this war. 70% of all those murdered are women and children.  Despite this staggering human cost, Gaza emerged victorious, defying a Zionist colonial project backed by decades of Western political and military support.

The whole world witnessed a genocide in real-time, as Gaza endured 2-ton bombs, cluster munitions, and systematic starvation. Yet, against all odds, Gaza triumphed, shattering the myth of Israel’s invincibility. The Gazan “David” stood tall against the “Goliath” of a settler-colonial state, marking a decisive moment in the struggle for Palestinian liberation.

The scale of destruction inflicted on Gaza is unparalleled. In just 15 months, Gaza suffered the equivalent of 20 9/11s in terms of lives lost, with over 2% of its population killed—an equivalent of 8.5 million deaths in the United States. Entire families were wiped out, with over 2,000 families massacred, and at least 60% of all buildings have been destroyed, according to analysis by US-based researchers Jamon Van Den Hoek and Corey Scher.  About 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents were forcibly displaced during the genocide, many of them multiple times.

This small strip of land, twice the size of Washington, D.C. and three times the population. endured one of the most brutal campaigns of modern warfare. Israel’s bombardment was not only a military assault but a genocidal attempt to erase Gaza and its people.

Despite this devastation, Gaza’s resilience shone through. The images of Palestinian fighters emerging from the ruins, in pressed fatigues and clean vehicles, to deliver three Israeli captives were surreal. These fighters, celebrated as heroes, were met with joyous chants, children taking selfies with them, and communities dancing in the streets—despite the overwhelming loss and destruction around them.

This spirit of resistance in Gaza, particularly in the north—deemed “uninhabitable” by Israel—was a powerful statement. Even in the face of starvation, bombardment, and displacement, the people of Gaza refused to be subdued.

Israel’s declared goals for the war included crushing Hamas, reoccupying the Gaza Strip, freeing Israeli captives, and securing settlements. All these objectives proved unattainable. Not once did Gaza raise a white flag, and Israel’s intelligence agencies, supported by the whole western powers, and despite their resources, failed to locate the captives. Only through negotiations were prisoners released.

Militarily, Israel dropped over 100,000 tons of explosives, committed over 9,000 massacres, and totally wiped out over 2,000 families, with all of their members, only to emerge morally, psychologically and strategically diminished. The promises of deterrence, security, and dominance were exposed as illusions. As experts suggest, such monstrosity is a measure of failure and not success. 

The war also revealed the complicity of global powers, particularly the United States, in enabling Israel’s actions. President Biden’s unwavering support for Israel, despite clear evidence of war crimes, has tarnished his legacy. The United States, which supplied taxpayer-funded weapons and political cover for this slaughter, is as culpable as Israel in the eyes of the world.

Internationally, Israel’s reputation has crumbled. Its narrative has collapsed, weaponizing accusations of antisemitism has lost credibility, and it has become an outcast on the global stage. The mass exodus of over one million Israelis underscores the failure of Israel’s promise as a “safe haven” for Jews.

The roots of this conflict trace back to the Nakba of 1948, when nearly a million Palestinians, including the author’s own family, were forcibly expelled from their homes. Over 70% of Gaza’s population today are refugees from the 521 villages destroyed during the war.

For decades, Palestinians have been denied their basic humanity and the right to self-determination. Blaming them for resisting brutal occupation is akin to blaming a woman defending her honor while being raped. This war did not begin on October 7; it is the culmination of decades of dispossession, oppression, and systemic injustice.

This war has brought the Palestinian cause to the forefront of global consciousness. Israel’s colonial project, built on the false promise of deterrence and supremacy, has been irreparably damaged. The resilience of Gaza has inspired not just Palestinians but humanity at large, asserting that colonialism and oppression can never truly prevail.

The recent vote by the Knesset against the two-state solution and Israel’s expansionist ambitions only underscore the urgent need for justice. 

The Zionist settler-colonial project has been defeated.  Israeli occupation of Palestine proved it is the largest and worst sin in the history of mankind. We are seeing the correction unfolding before our own eyes. Palestinians will never accept another Nakba, and their victory in this war affirms their determination.