For me, who is observing these events, I cannot help but think we are on the verge of a third world war. History has shown us how the people always suffer when countries and heads of state differ in opinion or policy.
By Sizwe Mthethwa
I don’t consider myself a politician of any sort, but rather a humanitarian who is deeply attached to human rights; especially those of children. I also have no idea what the bone of contention is between Israel and Gaza or Israel and Iran, but I can make educated guesses.
The war between Gaza and Israel is not new but I have been following the events since February 2025 and what I have observed since then has astounded me and left me thinking, “Am I watching the same news as everyone?” How can one country boldly bomb civilian housing and hospitals?
The sight of body bags, hospital beds with patients in the streets and children with amputated limbs because they survived a blast was surreal to me and it gave me flashbacks of the June 2020 unrest in our beloved Eswatini. I then asked myself another question, “Are EmaSwati equipped for such a life? I think not.”
In an already war-torn Gaza, I watched as Israel pushed millions of Palestinians into a tiny corner of the Gaza Strip by blocking food aid trucks which were vital for the people of Gaza. This meant people had to walk long distances to get food and as the war progressed, the aid trucks temporarily came to a halt. Cities were looking like demolition sites and the majority were and still are living in tents or demolished buildings, which is unsafe for its inhabitants.
While this was happening, emergency aid workers were being found in shallow graves by the dozens, with one incident being filmed by a terrified emergency worker with his mobile phone before he was executed in cold blood allegedly by Israeli soldiers. His phone was found on his person after being dug up in order to be identified along with others who were present and also killed. This is not an effort to vilify Israel in any way and all these reports are from trusted news sources.
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After a few months of carnage on not only the populace but the infrastructure, Gaza fell into a state of famine and with the absence of aid in the form of food, water or medicine, the situation turned deadly quickly. Children were and still are malnourished, traumatized and denied the right to education and a safe environment in the name of a war they did not start.
When Israel eventually allowed aid into Gaza, the United Nations (UN) reported that the food was insufficient considering the large number of Palestinians in need of aid. Thousands of civilians marched long distances to feeding sites in order to collect food and this has led to stampedes. There have also been reports of Israeli soldiers allegedly shooting civilians while this exercise is underway.
I thought to myself, “Israel must be a really powerful nation or has powerful allies because how can the international court allow such atrocities to happen daily?”
The American President, Donald Trump, seems oblivious to the damage done and continually speaks of permanently displacing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. This idea or notion has sparked wide criticism for the American president but this has not stopped his support for Israel and its cause to cleanse Gaza of Palestinians.
Amid this unending chaos in Gaza, another battle ensued between Israel and Iran. I cannot speak on how it started, but in a space of one week, Israel and Iran had exchanged fire so many times I lost count. For once, Israel was dealing with an enemy that struck back. Reports state that Iran is allegedly on the verge of creating or is developing nuclear-grade weaponry hence Israel and America have taken it upon themselves to disarm them.
The office of the UN and a correspondent of the Trump administration both dismissed the accusation on Iran but thisadvice has fallen on deaf ears and Israel and America are convinced Iran is developing nuclear-grade weapons.
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In true Donald Trump fashion, America struck three nuclear sites overnight in June 2025 and threw this conflict into a further downward spiral, given Iran’s history of retaliation. The American president boldly called Iran ‘The bully of the Middle East’ at a press conference advising that they revert to the negotiation table or pay a hefty price. We are yet to see how this transpires; only time will tell.
For me, who is observing these events, I cannot help but think we are on the verge of a third world war. History has shown us how the people always suffer when countries and heads of state differ in opinion or policy. It is worse when the leaders are volatile. All it takes is a few bad decisions from people in positions of power and the rest is history.
I mourn especially for the children living in these countries who have lost so much and witnessed atrocities unknown to man; All because of a war they did not start.
Israel has long been known as God’s chosen nation and a location with a lot of significant historic moments, especially in the religious aspect. If that is so, how is such a great state in the centre of so much chaos? How has a nation of past slaves become the oppressor? What happened to upholding international laws? Have international courts been rendered toothless? Lastly, must we prepare for a third world war?
The views expressed are those of the author and don’t represent those of the publication.
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