The war will not end until Israel sees the cost of its destruction

AT THE START OF ISRAEL'S WAR on Gaza, when the intensive bombing of civilians began, the thought in my mind was: how will we Palestinians live with the Israelis after this? A year later, the question has only become more pertinent.

- Raja Shehadeh

Many atrocities have been committed, starting with the killing by Palestinians of 1,200 Israeli soldiers and civilians, followed by the Israeli army killing more than 41,000 Palestinians, including more than 17,000 women and children, 287 aid workers and 138 journalists and media workers. This does not include those who remain under the rubble of the two-thirds of Gaza's buildings that have been damaged or destroyed. Here is just one detail from this 12-month war: On 25 September, Israel returned a truck containing 88 bodies with no identifying details to Gaza.

Israel has been under the misguided belief that it could hide these atrocities from the world by limiting access to journalists. It has not allowed outsiders to do independent reporting in Gaza, which has made it easier to dispute Palestinian versions of events.

All of this made the Israeli army callous, and it has killed large numbers of Palestinians in single airstrikes.