‘Like the world has forgotten us:' Gazans fear their ongoing suffering will become invisible amid Israel-Iran conflict
The young girl sits on the dusty floor, clutching her father's shoe close to her chest as she cries and screams in anger.
Bisan Qwaider is unconsolable.
Her father has just been killed while trying to get food for her and her 10 hungry siblings.
Bisan's father, Shadi, had left the family's tent in Mawassi, in southern Gaza, a few days earlier for Ma'an, just east of Khan Younis, the photojournalist who captured the scene of Qwaider's grief on Sunday, Khaled Sha'ath, said.
Shadi knew travel to the area was dangerous: Ma'an had been under an Israeli evacuation order for some time and has come under Israeli bombardment. But, despite the risk, his children were hungry and he believed he could get some food there for them.
Gaza is facing a hunger crisis. A UN-backed report published in late April warned that one in five people in Gaza were facing starvation and that the entire enclave was edging closer to famine. The situation has only worsened since then, according to the UN.
Sha'ath said Qwaider was killed in an airstrike and his body was pulled from the rubble on Sunday. He is one of hundreds of people who have died while attempting to find food in Gaza in recent weeks, according to Gaza health authorities.
When about the situation in Ma'an, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded by sending through a map of Gaza with 'dangerous combat zones' highlighted in red, which included Ma'an — as well as more than half of the territory.
In late May, Israel partially lifted an 11-week total blockade on Gaza, but humanitarian organisations say the aid entering now is only a tiny fraction of what is needed.
'Without immediate and massively scaled-up access to the basic means of survival, we risk a descent into famine, further chaos, and the loss of more lives,' the UN's humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said last week.
The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has sparked outrage around the world, recently prompting even some of Israel's closest allies to speak up.
Last week, Australia was one of 149 countries to vote in favour of an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza and aid access, after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council the week before.
The US, Israel and 10 others voted against the resolution, while 19 countries abstained from voting.
France, the United Kingdom and Canada issued a rare statement last month criticising Israel and threatening 'concrete steps' if the situation in Gaza does not improve. The UK paused trade negotiations with Israel and sanctioned West Bank settlers last month, and the European Union said it would review a key cooperation agreement with Israel.
But as tensions continue to escalate between Israel and Iran, people in Gaza are now worried that even the limited pressure on Israel over their suffering will quickly evaporate.
'The war between Israel and Iran made people forget about us completely,' Mohammad, a Gazan who did not want to share his last name, said on Monday.
'No one is looking at us, there's no food or water or anything.
'Every day, people go to try to get food and aid, and they end up being carried in body bags.'
Umm Mustafa, another Gazan, said the growing conflict between Iran and Israel means that their suffering has disappeared from the international news agenda.
'All the (focus) has shifted to the Israeli-Iranian war, even though the Gaza Strip has been wiped off of the map,' Mustafa said.
Abu Juma'a, who lives in Gaza City, said that while there were 'some voices calling and standing in solidarity with Gaza and calling for humanitarian aid to be let in, the Israeli-Iranian war meant there is no one calling for the food and water to be provided in Gaza.'
One in 40 dead
More than 55,300 people have been killed and more than 128,700 injured in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to health authorities there.
The numbers are staggering: The death toll represents some 2.5 per cent of the entire Gaza population, meaning that out of every 40 Palestinians living in Gaza before the war, one is now dead.
A peer-reviewed study published earlier this year in The Lancet journal, said that the number of people killed in Gaza is significantly higher than the figure reported by authorities in the enclave. CNN cannot independently verify those claims and Israel has barred international journalists from travelling to Gaza independently since October 7.
And the deadly hunger crisis is worsening. The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Monday that people are struggling to access basic goods because of Israeli restrictions on what can be brought into the territory.
Meanwhile, a US and Israeli-backed aid initiative, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — a controversial organisation that was established amid Israeli accusations that Hamas is stealing aid in Gaza and profiting off its sale — is struggling to fulfil the task.
The organisation has been criticised by multiple international aid agencies that it isn't fit for purpose.
According to Gaza health authorities, at least 300 people have been killed since the GHF opened its distribution points in late May, which are located in areas surrounded by active combat zones.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said last week that Israeli authorities have allowed only a select number of UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to resume the delivery of aid into Gaza after partially lifting the blockade and that 'only very limited amounts of certain food items, nutrition supplies, some health supplies, and water purification items' are allowed.
Other aid supplies such as shelter materials, hygiene products and medical equipment are still being blocked by Israel, according to OCHA.
'People can't find anything to eat or drink,' another Gaza resident, Abu Mohammed said.
'The price of a bag of flour is now 300 to 500 times more expensive than before … it does feel like the world has forgotten us.'
For young Bisan Qwaider, the only thing from her father she could get a hold of was his shoe.
As she screamed for her father, she looked to the sky and shouted a message for those she believed were responsible for his death.
'May God hold you accountable,' she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
21 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Missiles start falling': Miracle Israeli baby born in built-in bomb shelter at hospital
Israeli resident David Erlich shares the incredible story of how his 28th grandchild was born in a bomb shelter in Israel. 'The hospital had set up an entire underground basement bomb shelter facility that could not be damaged by bombs,' Mr Erlich told Sky News host Peta Credlin. 'All of a sudden, the sirens go on the telephones and everything.' 'The missiles start falling, and here she is in labour.'
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Ceremony remembers 75 years since the start of the 'forgotten' Korean War
Stanley Starcevich says many Australians forget the Korean War, but he cannot. The 94-year-old remembers trudging up steep mountains, through fields of rice paddies and dense forests. He remembers digging into frozen ground, icy winters, and hot, humid summers. He remembers the sound of enemy gunfire, the fear of hidden landmines, and he remembers learning about true bravery and courage. Mr Starcevich arrived in Korea in May 1951 as a 20-year-old with what he described as some "good blokes". "They could make you laugh even when the situation was really dire," he said. "We didn't know what was happening around us most of the time. He remembers — he can't help but remember. However, Mr Starcevich said many forgot. Less than five years after WWII, on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea, starting the Korean War. Australia was quick to join the US-led United Nations army in support of South Korea in its attempt to halt the spread of communism. Australian troops played a pivotal role throughout the conflict, particularly in defending the fall of Seoul in 1951 in the Battle of Kapyong. The conflict remains ongoing, with the Korean peninsula still divided along the 38th parallel. More than 18,000 Australians served during the Korean War and the post-armistice period. While the war officially ended in July 1953, the last Australians did not return home until 1957. In total, 340 Australians lost their lives. Forty-two have no known grave. When those who survived returned home, they did not receive the hero's welcome of WWI and WWII veterans. The past president of the Korean Veterans Association of Australia (KVAA), John Munro OAM, said his local RSL rejected him becoming a member because it said the Korean conflict was "only a peacekeeping operation". "Well, it wasn't," Mr Munro said. "I can assure you of that." He departed his hometown of Swan Hill as a 19-year-old en route to Korea and cannot forget his experience of the brutality of war and the rejection he and his comrades received. "That happened to a lot of us." Both Mr Munro and Mr Starcevich spoke at a commemorative service held in Canberra on June 25 to mark 75 years since the start of the war. Mr Starcevich drove himself more than 3,000 kilometres from Esperance, WA, to attend the event because he believes remembering is important. Mr Munro's granddaughter, Macey Rye, said it was important the war was remembered and the veterans celebrated. "I have friends that have no idea of [the war]." She said her grandfather shared stories of the mateship of war — fun times away from the front — but kept the horrors to himself. Her mother and KVAA secretary Debby Munro helped coordinate 17 veterans from around the country attending the ceremony. She tears up thinking about the fact that many won't make the 80th anniversary. "They are forgotten," she said. "They feel it all the time. They feel it every Anzac Day. It's disheartening. "We've got to do what we can while we can while they're here. It's about them."
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
I'm a doomscrolling news junkie. This is how I could fix it
But I give it to him straight. 'I'm finding everything so much harder than ever before.' And in return, he smartly asks: 'When you say everything, do you mean everything? Or is there something specific?' I have a list: war, war, more war, bombs, more war, bombs. Endless images of maimed and slaughtered children. It does not include AI (although after my consultation with Pearson, it now appears; rows of ghastly ghostly bots making millions of mistakes). Turns out, he says, humans have evolved to fear uncertainty, ambiguity. Well, yeah. Don't we all want to know how to avoid dying? And how we might all evolve to avoid war? Because I'd love to be certain about that. The science? The uncertainty fires up our limbic system and puts us into fight or flight. Oh my god. I do not wish to do either. Pearson's vibe is that we should embrace this because our modern lives need us to be adaptable. Sure, although I'd love not to have to be adaptable to war. I'd love no-one to have to be adaptable to war. Aside from the box breathing, Pearson has other tips which I cannot even attempt. He only looks at the news twice a day. I explain that would absolutely not be possible for me. We then bargain between what's possible and what's likely. Is once an hour for five minutes enough? He suggests the physiological sigh, two short sharp in-breaths and one long exhale. Slows your heart rate. Develop habits like going to the gym. But don't just do this when you are having a huge anxious moment. Don't try it for the first time when you are feeling the pressure build. Feel and feed the daily habits. 'You want to practise those things when you are feeling good so that it's an automatic response.' He also tells me to stop watching screens. Watching clips of endless violence is much worse than reading about it. You carry those images with you for a long time after seeing them. Tell me about it. The images of Israelis on October 7, 2023. The images of Gazan children and their families. Bomb blasts in Ukraine. Reels and reels of them. Then Pearson drops the AI bomb (not something which worried me before my conversation with him). Basically, it's going to take our jobs and make everyone miserable for a few years. After I hang up, I start worrying. And even though Pearson has never practised clinically, he does what every good therapist should do after a tough session. He checks in: 'Sorry if I made you feel a bit anxious with all my future predictions, but I think it's good to shift the conversation and get people talking about it. I think humans are amazingly resilient, and if we band together, we can make the future much, much better than the past.' Loading He also makes a prediction: 'AI will be hugely transformative in a positive way and it will solve our biggest challenges and eventually will get to utopia.' Don't think I can bust my addiction. And I don't think this is the right time to look away. Hope I'm still alive for Pearson's predictions. Otherwise I'll just have to settle for well-informed nirvana, twelve-steps be buggered.
