FEARS FOR LEBANON ESCALATE AS ISRAEL INTENSIFIES ATTACKS
September 30, 2024I was interviewed by Fiona Willan from Sky News about the ongoing situation in Lebanon and my forced retreat from the country.
As Israel continues its attacks, only increasing in viciousness and randomness, the Lebanese people are at continued risk.
An estimated 1 million have been displaced with over a thousand killed and many more injured.
Yet, the Western world continues to supply Israel with arms whilst simultaneously “”calling”” for a ceasefire.
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English Script:
Fiona Willan: And I’m now joined by an Australian journalist and filmmaker who fled last week, Daizy Gedeon. Daizy, thank you for joining me and sharing your experiences. Firstly, how are you going and what can you tell me about your journey to get out?
Daizy Gedeon: I can’t say that I’m at all happy, I’m very devastated and very worried about the people of Lebanon and any Australians that remain there. The journey to get out was quite difficult. We knew that Israel was intending to come in a heavy way. We got notice and advice that we should leave. So, we spent about eight hours, we were using three different travel agents to try and secure a flight. And finally, late Tuesday night, we got a flight on Wednesday and it’s, I know Middle East Airlines is still trying to get people out but it’s the last airlines that’s operating out of Beirut and so we fled Wednesday night and came to Dubai and I’m just waiting it out here to see if things calm down and otherwise, I really don’t think it’s going to calm down. I think we’ve just seen over the last 24 hours despite the assassination of Nasrallah that things are getting worse so I might be heading home very soon.
Fiona Willan: How quickly did you have to pack up your things and go and what was that like for you to have to get out that quickly?
Daizy Gedeon: It was shocking, I mean I’m set up I’m based there and I didn’t know what I was going to be taking, what do I take for two weeks, five months. I’m not sure how long it’s going to last so I basically had to close up my house empty my fridge turn off all the electricity, everything, gas, everything that you… It was disturbing. I was not thinking clearly, but I had to think very logically about what the situation was going to be for me, was I coming back in two weeks? So, I’ve packed so much stuff. But it was sad, doing it, like, feeling forced to leave my home and having to disrupt my life and uproot it for I’m not sure how long.
Fiona Willan: So, it’s definitely disappointing and very saddening, and given the situation that has unfolded over the past 24 hours and this warning that things are about to escalate, can you give us a sense of what it would be like to be just a regular person on the ground in Beirut. Have you been able to speak to anyone?
Daizy Gedeon: Definitely, yeah, we’re constantly in contact with family and relatives there, and they’re sending me, they’re saying, you thank God you left, it hasn’t stopped, the bombardment there in Beirut, they’re just constant bombardment by Israel. I mean, you know, people are continuing to flee, there’s no homes for people, there’s hundreds of thousands of refugees on the roads and in parks, in empty areas and lands because there’s just not enough accommodation. The government has had to open up the schools, but still we’ve been, and I’ve been asked particularly to try and help raise awareness and also to generate bedding, mattresses, diapers, formula, food, some sort of support, because there are literally hundreds of thousands of people who are homeless at the moment within their own country. And so, you know, and then you’ve got thousands of people now who’ve been killed, maybe up to 2000 people being killed now. We don’t know after the last bombing of Dahye, the southern suburb of Beirut that killed Nasrallah, how many people are actually dead and just thousands injured. The hospitals are overwhelmed. So, you know, my family, my friends, they’re just, they don’t know, they’re grateful that we’re out, but we’re feeling very privileged that we’re out. Even leaving was very difficult, looking at the people working at the airport who were saying, you know, God bless you, God be with you. And you’re just thinking, God be with you, you know, you’re stuck, you know, you can’t leave. It’s harrowing for a lot of people, and just not knowing what’s going to happen. It’s not over, like, what more do they want? Like, Israel’s assassinated every member of the elite command of Hezbollah, including Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, and why have they continued to bomb Lebanon, all the areas of Lebanon, not just Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, but Beirut is still constantly being bombed, and you just wonder what is their ultimate objective, because if it’s not assassinating the leader, is it really the intention of reoccupying Lebanon? And that’s what the reports are coming out that they’re planning a land invasion. Before I went to sleep last night, the reports were that the ground invasion has begun. So, I haven’t seen any more reports, but we don’t get everything. So that is, that is the biggest concern is what is going to happen next, and they just continue to pummel Beirut, and now there were reports of them hitting hospitals and clinics in Southern Lebanon. Like, are we seeing a repeat of Gaza and why?
Fiona Willan: And so just finally, what are your plans now? You said you were waiting to see how the situation goes. How long do you intend to stay in Dubai?
Daizy Gedeon: I’ve given myself two weeks in Dubai because obviously it’s a costly exercise, it’s a very expensive city, and I’m just going to stay in daily contact with friends and relatives to see and read the news. I mean, that’s my job is to continuously read the news and share that on my platforms. But if it’s going to be a protracted conflict, I’ll be heading home to Sydney, in the next week and a half, yeah.
Fiona Willan: Daizy, thank you so much for speaking with us and sharing your story and all the best.
Daizy Gedeon: Thank you for paying interest to it and continuing to report the truth. Thanks, thanks Fiona.
Fiona Willan: Thanks Daizy.
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