The return of 1 million Palestinians from southern Gaza to the north last week felt as if history was choreographing one of the most earth-shattering events in recent memory.

Even those of us who have long emphasized the importance of the Palestinian people’s voice, experience and collective action in Palestinian history have been shocked by the cultural revolution resulting from the Israeli war on Gaza.

A headline on The Times of Israel’s blog section said it all: “For the first time, Israel just lost a war.”

The latest news from the Palestinian Authority’s “Protecting the Homeland” operation in the Jenin refugee camp paints a grim picture. Nine Palestinian lives have been claimed in this ongoing crackdown, which began on Dec. 5, including a young journalist, Shaza Al-Sabbagh.

The Israeli war on Gaza is epitomized by the story of Beit Lahia, a small Palestinian town in the northern part of the Strip.

Israel is getting ready to annex the West Bank. The annexation will be a major step backward on the road to Palestinian freedom and will likely serve as a catalyst for a new Palestinian uprising.

A new kind of unity around Palestine is finally finding its way to the solidarity movement worldwide. The reason behind this unity is obvious: Gaza.