I Am A South African Trapped In Gaza: This Is Genocide

Haidar Eid is a South African Palestinian Literature professor currently in Gaza, with his wife and two small children.They have no way to leave.He blames the international community for standing idle during a genocide.This essay is based on a short voice note he sent to friends. It is unedited.

“This is Haidar Eid.

I am a South African Palestinian literature professor, in Gaza right now, with a wife and two small daughters.

My flat was bombed by apartheid Israel.

Israel has said that Gazans must leave. This is exactly what the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to say two days ago, but we all can’t go anywhere. Because the border was bombed.

Rafah is the only exit to the eternal world, between Gaza and Egypt. And it was bombed.

The other six crossings are controlled by apartheid Israel.

We have no food, no electricity; water and hospitals are bombed.

The international community is standing idle, supporting apartheid Israel and blaming the victim. What is going on right now is genocide. The international law defines genocide and it is exactly what is happening to us right now.”

Editorial note

News24 has been unable to reach Haidar Eid directly for further details of his situation, and that of his family, amid increasing difficult to communicate with a Gaza strip now without electricity, and where a great deal of infrastructure has been destroyed.

His story and photo appears here with permission obtained via an intermediary. This is a direct transcript of a voice note he sent to friends.

Israel initially told people in Gaza to leave via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the only one not under Israeli control, after it closed all other border posts. It later confirmed that crossing was not open either, and Egypt appears unwilling to have it open. Humanitarian organisations have reported multiple air strikes in close vicinity of the crossing.

Israel has declared a total siege on Gaza, and on Thursday one minister said there would be no food, water, or electricity allowed into Gaza until all Israeli hostages are released.

Source: News24