Today marks the seventh anniversary of the 2008-2009 aggression on Gaza. As the world watch from afar, the offensive lasted for 22 days (December 27-January 18), wreaking havoc in the tightly besieged territory, and killing and wounding thousands of civilians.

Hamas called it the “Battle of Furqan”, as it truly separated the rightful ones from those who collaborated with the enemy and against the Palestinian resistance, while the Israeli occupation named it “Operation Cast Lead,” a name that reflects the reality of Israel’s ruthless intentions.

Besides bombs and fire, the population in Gaza suffered a tightened siege that started 2 years before and continues for the time being.

Israel used white phosphorus, bombed schools, summarily executed civilians holding white flags and bombed the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza. By the end of the offensive, over 1,400 Palestinians were murdered; more than 80% of them - the overwhelming majority - innocent civilians.

However, despite the fact that war crimes were broadcast live on television, impunity for Israel remains the rule, as is the case for all Israeli crime that preceded or followed this aggression.

Despite the tight siege and the use of all sorts of sophisticated weapons, Hamas managed to fend off the ground invasion, and the resistance was embraced by all the people in Gaza as well as the Arab and Islamic nations and the free peoples of the world. The outgoing Bush administration has failed to create a new Middle East and, once again, Hamas emerged stronger than ever.