Two years have passed since the morning that forever altered the course of the Palestinian struggle — the dawn of October 7, 2023, when the besieged enclave of Gaza broke through its prison walls in a thunderous uprising now etched into history as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

At 6:31 a.m., the first sirens screamed across the occupied territories. Minutes later, hundreds of rockets pierced the skies from Gaza toward the occupied cities and settlements surrounding it. By the time the sun rose, Palestinian Resistance fighters had already stormed across the border, overwhelming outposts, dismantling fortified positions, and capturing soldiers — shattering the illusion of Israeli invincibility that had endured for decades.

What began as a military operation became a political earthquake. The meticulously planned assault — the largest coordinated resistance operation in modern Palestinian history — marked not only a direct confrontation with the Israeli military, but a rebirth of the Palestinian liberation movement itself.

Two years later, despite the genocidal war that has since claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives, the Resistance stands defiant — militarily undefeated, morally strengthened, and politically transformed.

The Morning Gaza Shook the World

The early hours of October 7 stunned observers and reshaped regional calculations overnight. Palestinian fighters from various factions — Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (PFLP) military wing — launched a unified strike under the banner of Al-Aqsa Flood.

Within hours, Resistance forces advanced deep into settlements that once symbolized Israeli permanence. They engaged occupation soldiers directly, destroying communication networks, disabling automated defenses, and storming heavily fortified military bases.

The attack was unprecedented in its precision and coordination. Drones were deployed to drop explosives on watchtowers and communication hubs, bulldozers breached walls at more than thirty points, and commandos entered occupied territories on motorcycles, trucks, and even paragliders — a scene unimaginable to the world’s most surveilled army.

In his final recorded address, Mohammad al-Deif, the revered Al-Qassam commander who would later be martyred, declared: “For decades they have desecrated Al-Aqsa, stolen our land, and murdered our children. Today the occupation will know that the patience of Palestine has limits. This is the day of the Flood.”

Within minutes, Al-Qassam Spokesperson Abu Obeidah affirmed the operation’s objective: “The enemy will awaken in astonishment to the scale of its defeat. Al-Aqsa Flood will be executed as planned, until the land is free.”

Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Abu Hamza echoed the same spirit, proclaiming that the resistance had “shattered the prestige of the enemy’s army and rendered it humiliated and exposed.”

Breaking the Myth of Israeli Invincibility

For decades, Zionist propaganda sold the image of an untouchable security apparatus — the “Iron Wall” that could withstand any attack. But on that morning, the myth collapsed in real time.

Relying on drones, radar, and automated turrets, “Israel” had grown arrogant in its technological dominance. It believed steel fences and satellites could contain a population of two million people whose only weapon was willpower. Yet it was precisely this technological hubris that became its downfall.

Resistance fighters methodically disabled cameras and turrets, blinding the Israeli Air Force and leaving border units paralyzed. For the first time in decades, Zionist pilots — the pride of the occupation — were flying blind.

When the fence was breached, the entire doctrine of deterrence disintegrated. Settlers fled in panic; soldiers surrendered in disbelief. Israeli media itself admitted that the attack “annihilated the psychological security barrier upon which Israeli society was built.”

This was not just a tactical victory — it was a symbolic rupture. For Palestinians, the wall that separated them from freedom had fallen; for Israelis, the fortress that once protected their colonial project was cracked beyond repair.

The War of Narratives: Gaza’s Lens vs. the Zionist Media Machine

In the months and years that followed, the war extended beyond the battlefield and into the realm of information. While Western media rushed to portray the events through the prism of Israeli trauma, Palestinian Resistance movements waged a war of truth.

Through carefully produced footage, the Resistance displayed its operations against occupation forces — ambushes, sniper missions, destroyed vehicles, and targeted strikes — challenging decades of dehumanization that painted Palestinians as passive victims.

Each broadcast held dual significance, militarily documenting the successes and discipline of Resistance fighters while psychologically restoring morale among the besieged population and humiliating the occupier.

The videos also revealed a hidden facet of Gaza’s resilience: its domestic weapons industry. Despite a suffocating siege, Resistance groups showcased homegrown production of sophisticated weapons — the Al-Yassin 105 RPG, the Rajoum multiple rocket launcher, the Al-Ghoul sniper rifle, and an array of drones.

Under the blockade’s shadow, Gaza had built a military-industrial network that defied the combined intelligence of Israel, the U.S., and their allies. It was an industrial miracle born from resistance and necessity.

The Global Shockwave: Palestine and the New Decolonial Momentum

October 7 was not only a Palestinian awakening — it was a global political event. Across continents, from Johannesburg to Jakarta, from Istanbul to Caracas, people poured into the streets in solidarity.

The Resistance’s audacious strike rekindled a spirit of anti-imperial defiance not seen since the revolutionary movements of the 20th century. Commentators likened the operation to the Algerian War of Independence, the Cuban Revolution, and even the Vietnamese resistance against U.S. occupation.

Within days, chants of “From the River to the Sea” echoed across capitals, as Western governments scrambled to contain the growing wave of public dissent. Student movements revived the language of decolonization; labor unions passed resolutions to boycott Zionist companies; and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign surged to new levels of influence.

Meanwhile, the Arab and Islamic worlds experienced a renewed unity of purpose. From Yemen’s Ansarallah movement to Hezbollah in Lebanon, from Iraq’s Resistance factions to Iran’s strategic alliances, a “Unity of Fronts” was forged, coordinating pressure against the occupation on multiple fronts.

The regional equation had changed — Palestine was no longer alone.

Gaza Under Fire: The Genocidal War That Followed

In response to its military humiliation, “Israel” unleashed a war of extermination unprecedented in the modern era. Entire neighborhoods in Gaza were obliterated; refugee camps like Jabalia and Rafah turned into fields of rubble. Hospitals were bombed, schools were flattened, and water, fuel, and electricity were cut off.

By early 2025, over 67,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — had been killed, according to Gaza’s health authorities. International agencies described the situation as “the world’s most documented genocide.”

Yet, in the face of this annihilation, the Resistance did not collapse. Fighters continued to operate underground, maintaining supply lines, launching rockets, and confronting invading forces with guerilla precision.

Even after two years of continuous war, “Israel” has failed to achieve its declared goals: the destruction of Hamas, the dismantling of the Resistance infrastructure, and the restoration of deterrence.

Instead, it finds itself mired in a war of attrition, demoralized, divided, and globally isolated.

Two Years Later: The Flood Still Flows

Today, as Gaza’s skyline remains scarred by ruins, its spirit endures. Despite famine, displacement, and destruction, the people of Gaza — and the broader Palestinian nation — continue to embody steadfastness (sumud).

The Resistance’s endurance has redefined the meaning of victory. In military terms, it has survived; in moral terms, it has triumphed.

“They wanted to erase Gaza,” said a senior Resistance commander in a recent statement, “but Gaza became the mirror that exposed their moral decay. Every bomb they dropped only deepened our conviction that liberation is inevitable.”

Across the region, the Palestinian cause has re-centered the Arab conscience. Governments that once normalized ties with the occupation are now facing public backlash; international law bodies are investigating Israeli war crimes; and the term “genocide” — once avoided — now headlines mainstream media.

The Al-Aqsa Flood has thus achieved what decades of diplomacy could not: it has forced the world to confront the reality of occupation, apartheid, and resistance.

The Legacy of Al-Aqsa Flood

Two years on, Al-Aqsa Flood remains a watershed moment — a testament to Gaza’s courage and the world’s awakening. It proved that the walls of oppression, no matter how tall, can be torn down when a people refuses to kneel.

It rekindled the legacy of anti-colonial liberation, bridging generations of revolutionaries who believe in the universal truth that dignity cannot be negotiated — it must be reclaimed.

And as Gaza’s fighters continue their struggle, the Flood has become more than a battle; it is a symbol — a living current flowing from the alleys of Gaza to the conscience of humanity.

“October 7 was not the end,” said a Resistance fighter in a video released this week. “It was the beginning — the first wave of a flood that will not stop until Palestine is free.” (ILKHA)