This is a genocide and we need it to stop: British-Egyptian actor on Gaza

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - British-Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla has expressed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, saying this "genocide" needs to be stopped in this generation.

While massive pro-Palestinian rallies continue to be held across the world, many celebrities are also adding their voices and expressing firm solidarity with Palestinians.

The actor was among those who attended the latest pro-Palestine march that was held in London to call for an immediate cease-fire in the besieged enclave, where nearly 32,800 civilians have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7.

"I'm incredibly proud to be standing here, although it grieves me that we're still here, six months after this began," Abdalla, who starred in Netflix's hit TV series The Crown, said in an interview with Anadolu.

The 43-year-old actor, who played the late Princess Diana's boyfriend Dodi Fayed in The Crown, said the death toll in Gaza is "completely unimaginable."

"This is a genocide, and we need it to stop...We're all here and have been here week after week after week after week. It's because we need this to end in our generation," he said.

Saying that he grew up fearing this would not end in their generation, he stressed that the world needs to make sure that it does.

"The international community has failed Palestine. It has failed the children of Palestine. It's failed the world," Abdalla said.

He noted that when the moment came, "they did nothing. In fact, they did worse than nothing."

They arm and they continue to support Israel, said the famed actor, adding that the approach of the international community "needs to change immediately."

"My message to the people of Gaza is that we are with you and we're sorry. We're sorry that everything that we do is not enough," he said.

Abdalla stressed that they will continue to be with Palestinians, stand with them and fight for them "until this ends."

"We, together will be the last generation that has to stand in this way and fight for this justice and fight for this freedom, and we will prevail and we will succeed," he added.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed some 1,200 people.

More than 32,800 Palestinians have since been killed and over 75,300 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which on Thursday asked Israel to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.