Opinion: Israel’s Most Recent War on Gaza Signifies New Phase in the Palestinian Struggle for Justice

The Palestinian struggle for justice has entered a new phase. Unlike any previous confrontation, the equations that govern the rules of engagement on the ground have transformed, crucially displaying the centrality of Al-Quds, Palestine’s forever capital, and signaling a red line to the violent uprooting of Sheikh Jarrah’s Palestinian homeowners. 

Jerusalem has proven to be the focal point, the motive, link, and connection – regionally, locally, and internationally, for the whole Palestinian cause. After the Abraham Accords that secured the Israelization (normalization) of ties between Israel and several Arab states, preceded by the Trump brokered ‘Deal of the Century’, through which they sought to bribe the Palestinian’s into foregoing any Palestinian State, particularly Jerusalem; such efforts have not only proven futile but have essentially accelerated the defeat of Israel.

On the 20th of May 2021, Israel initiated a ceasefire after the 11-day onslaught of Gaza, whilst the culmination of events leading to this signified a victory for the Palestinian struggle for justice, with important strategic implications summarized below:

1. Palestinians began mobilizing

Palestinians living within the ’48 borders began mobilizing, and the assumption that they had integrated within Israel and had no psychology to rise up has been crushed. They have become an uncalculated source of fear, as they formed a local front within the heart of Israel. 

2. Gaza rose up in defense of Jerusalem

The resistance in Gaza came to the defense of Jerusalem. It has gone from defending itself, to becoming a source of liberation for other parts of occupied Palestine.

3. A change in the balance of forces

The compass – that is Jerusalem – has been defined clearly, with new rules of engagements on the ground that equate attacking Jerusalem to a full-scale war, and decisive conclusions have been established due to the change in the balance of forces. 

4. Israeli settlers are morally frightened

Israel has proven its demographic fragility – manifested by the Israeli settler’s fear of the Palestinian resistance’s rocket attacks that are incomparable to modern weapons in the ability to cause damage, however the success of the resistance’s attacks has been through morale – forcing the settlers to interrupt their lives and hide in shelters when the alert sounds. 

The alert sound is enough to cause substantial fear, and the prospect that the settlers are targets in any upcoming future war, due to rockets such as R-160, that have ranges up to 40 miles away from Gaza and can target further than Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, are enough to make the settler’s pack up their bags and flee back to the places they came from before they colonized historic Palestine. 

This is even more pronounced for those across the globe, particularly in countries like America, Ukraine, and Russia that are considering moving to and gaining citizenship in Israel. Since their allegiance to Israel is unlikely to overpower their wish for safety, particularly considering they are erected on the ruins of the Palestinian rightful owners of the land, Israel will not be able to sustain itself, since there is no government or state without a people.

5. Israel is geographically vulnerable

Isreal has proven its geographic vulnerability, since the Palestinian resistance demonstrated that it could target very sensitive areas within Israel, such as airbases and oil platforms, with strikes having caused a fire in a petroleum depot in Ashkelon and the shut-down of several airports. This is the case since its geographic expanse is very limited, especially in areas between Gaza and the West Bank – it is a matter of a few kilometers away. Hence, the ability of Isreal to hold a confrontation on all fronts is difficult and it therefore cannot sustain itself in the long term.

6. There is a united resistance front against Israel

United resistance front: the 11-day war was only between Israel and Gaza; the Syrian and Lebanese war fronts – that form the axis of resistance, were not opened – despite this, the Palestinian resistance caused massive harm to Israel in launching over 4,000 rockets, up to 100% higher in volume than during the 2014 war, with twice as many lobbed at distant cities like Tel Aviv. 

The axis of the resistance front, spearheaded by the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been raised in the eyes of many people as vanguards of the oppressed. Previously, every entity in a respective region used to defend itself on its own during a war and wasn’t linked logistically. The ‘New Middle East’ project of the West, that sought to topple the government in Syria and destabilise Iraq through the funding of ISIS, in addition to the Saudi attack and siege on Yemen, have only backfired, leading to the rise of the more strongly united resistance front, that considers an attack on one as an attack on all. 

It became clear to the West that if Israel increased their war against Gaza and crossed further red lines, other forces of the resistance would get involved. These include the PMU in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, the IRGC in Iran, and it became apparent that the issue would become much stronger than it is and a real source of threat to the existence of Israel. This coordination is very important. 

Israel was not patient and could not go further than 11 days, a short period of time, considering previous wars, and they did not achieve anything but the targeting of civilian life and infrastructure – this in itself is proof of their failure. When Israel announced it wanted to target the interior structure of the resistance and wasn’t able to do so, and it wasn’t able to specify its targets, it became embarrassed of stopping the attacks on Gaza.

When the West felt there was a real threat, it intensified its pressure on Israel, with Biden speaking privately with Netanyahu six times. These talks and the American pressure are in themselves acknowledgments of failure and of the new balance of powers. 

7. Nation-states are now held morally responsible

Nations that have Israelized (normalized) are lowering their heads in shame.

8. Society has been mobilized

People’s awareness of the savage nature of Israel has increased, and their intolerance against censorship, the double standards of mass media, and the distinguishing between good and evil have never been so clear. 

9. Collective solidarity can, in fact, make a difference

It has been proven that when there is real will, nothing is impossible, despite the limitations of money, technology, and the apparent strength of the opposing force.