Mohammed Jendia's story

Mohammed Jendia from Gaza, aged 23, was one of the speakers at last Friday's screening of Israelism in Kilcullen Town Hall, organised by local supporters of Palestine, writes Brian Byrne. The following is his story in conversation with me.

I arrived here in Ireland four months ago. My story in Gaza, in this war, in this new fight, is only part of my story, to tell it all would take maybe two days. Israel had cut off the water and electricity and food and fuel, coming into Gaza, and you can imagine the suffering. After that came the bombing, killing thousands of people. The bombing increased and the IDF told us to move from north to south, the south is a safe area. So a lot of people went there, but my father and I stayed at that time in Gaza City. 

After one week, the house where my sister was in the south was bombed. She had injuries on her face and her legs and her body, and after nine days she died. Her children 4-year-old Ali and 1-year-old Sara were also injured. When we heard she was injured, my father and I decided to go and say goodbye to her, but the IDF had at that time forbidden anyone else to move from the north to the south. They had occupied all the hospitals and they prevented any ambulance cars to help any person. My mum rang me and my father and said she wanted to see us, that she missed us very much. So we decided to leave Gaza City. But if you want to go to the south you have to walk at least ten kilometres. Even if you are injured, or sick or old, you have to walk, you are not allowed to use a car. My  father is sick and he can't walk well. But he gave me his bag and I carried it and my bag. They were very heavy. But we did it.

When we arrived I saw my mum and I ran to her and we hugged each other. She asked me did I want something to eat, or to sleep, and I said I only wanted to sleep. I slept only two hours and the bombing started again, so the Israelis were lying about it being safe in the south.

After that I received a call from my brother in law in Ireland, and he told me he was applying for a visa for me and the kids to go to Ireland. He wanted to see his children again. I said OK. All my life, I never had dealt with kids. Even to change baby Sara's nappy, my mother had to show me. There was also a danger that we could be killed in the random bombing while we travelled. But I said no problem, I will do that.

When we arrived at the crossing, the guards told me we don't travel through today, to come back tomorrow. They got the names from the IDF, and we were not going through. I told them it is very dangerous to go back, but they said they couldn't help me. We went back the next day and they exited me, and we went on to Cairo. 

The most difficult thing for me was that Ali had been so long without his mum, and all the time he was asking me "where's my mum?" I couldn't say anything except "Don't worry Ali, we will soon see your father, inshallah." We arrived here in Ireland and we met lovely people here and they supported us, and thank you. Now the children are OK, in Gaza they were injured but they're now OK.

I only lived through it for 40 days, what is it like for the people who have been going through it for now 188 days? It's unbelievable. You can't imagine what is happening there. All the hospitals in Gaza [are gone]. There is no hospital, no schools, no houses. My house is gone, all my neighbours' houses. We don't have anything now in Gaza, my family is homeless. The situation there is very very difficult.

This is the worst time. I lived through other wars from Israel, but this you cannot call it war, it is genocide. I need another word, something bigger, you cannot imagine what is happening there. Every day I lose more of my friends. Yesterday I lost two cousins, and every day I am very sad. But I can't do anything. I hope that someone can stop Israel and have a ceasefire now, but it's very very difficult for us.

I studied mobile computing and smart phones in university. I can write code and I'm an applications programmer. But because of the lack of internet and electricity, we only have electricity for eight hours, [I couldn't work there].

At this time I hope to stay here because the situation in Gaza is very difficult. You know, maybe it needs 20 years or 30 years to bring Gaza back as it was. After that I would return to Gaza because it is my home.

(The funds raised at Friday's event are going towards trying to bring the rest of Mohammed's family out of Gaza. There's a GoFundMe page here for anyone who wan ts to help.)

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