‘Like the world has forgotten us:' As Iran-Israel conflict escalates, Gazans fear their suffering will become invisible
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.
Khaled Sha'ath, the photojournalist who captured the scene of Qwaider's grief on Sunday, told CNN that 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.
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.
CNN has asked the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) about the situation in Ma'an. The IDF responded by sending CNN 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 organizations 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.
France, the United Kingdom and Canada issued a rare statement last month criticizing 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. 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,' Mohammad, a Gazan who did not want to share his last name, told CNN on Monday.
Umm Mustafa, another Gazan, told CNN 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, told CNN 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.'
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% 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 traveling 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 organization that was established amid Israeli accusations that Hamas is stealing aid in Gaza and profiting off its sale – is struggling to fulfill the task.
The organization has been criticized 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 organizations (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. 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,' another Gaza resident, Abu Mohammed, told CNN.
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.
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CNN
18 hours ago
- CNN
‘Like the world has forgotten us:' As Iran-Israel conflict escalates, Gazans fear their suffering will become invisible
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. Khaled Sha'ath, the photojournalist who captured the scene of Qwaider's grief on Sunday, told CNN that 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. 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. CNN has asked the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) about the situation in Ma'an. The IDF responded by sending CNN 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 organizations 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. France, the United Kingdom and Canada issued a rare statement last month criticizing 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. 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,' Mohammad, a Gazan who did not want to share his last name, told CNN on Monday. Umm Mustafa, another Gazan, told CNN 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, told CNN 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.' 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% 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 traveling 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 organization that was established amid Israeli accusations that Hamas is stealing aid in Gaza and profiting off its sale – is struggling to fulfill the task. The organization has been criticized 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 organizations (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. 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,' another Gaza resident, Abu Mohammed, told CNN. 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.
CNN
18 hours ago
- CNN
‘Like the world has forgotten us:' As Iran-Israel conflict escalates, Gazans fear their suffering will become invisible
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. Khaled Sha'ath, the photojournalist who captured the scene of Qwaider's grief on Sunday, told CNN that 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. 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. CNN has asked the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) about the situation in Ma'an. The IDF responded by sending CNN 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 organizations 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. France, the United Kingdom and Canada issued a rare statement last month criticizing 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. 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,' Mohammad, a Gazan who did not want to share his last name, told CNN on Monday. Umm Mustafa, another Gazan, told CNN 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, told CNN 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.' 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% 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 traveling 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 organization that was established amid Israeli accusations that Hamas is stealing aid in Gaza and profiting off its sale – is struggling to fulfill the task. The organization has been criticized 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 organizations (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. 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,' another Gaza resident, Abu Mohammed, told CNN. 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.
CNN
2 days ago
- CNN
201 ways to say ‘f**k': what 1.7 billion words of online text shows about how the world swears
EDITOR'S NOTE: CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news analysis and commentary. The content is produced solely by The Conversation. This story contains graphic language that some readers may find offensive. Our brains swear for good reasons: to vent, cope, boost our grit and feel closer to those around us. Swear words can act as social glue and play meaningful roles in how people communicate, connect and express themselves – both in person, and online. In our new research published in Lingua, we analysed more than 1.7 billion words of online language across 20 English-speaking regions. We identified 597 different swear word forms – from standard words, to creative spellings like '4rseholes', to acronyms like 'wtf'. The findings challenge a familiar stereotype. Australians – often thought of as prolific swearers – are actually outdone by Americans and Brits, both in how often they swear, and in how many users swear online. Our study focused on publicly available web data (such as news articles, organisational websites, government or institutional publications, and blogs – but excluding social media and private messaging). We found vulgar words made up 0.036% of all words in the dataset from the United States, followed by 0.025% in the British data and 0.022% in the Australian data. Although vulgar language is relatively rare in terms of overall word frequency, it was used by a significant number of individuals. Between 12% and 13.3% of Americans, around 10% of Brits, and 9.4% of Australians used at least one vulgar word in their data. Overall, the most frequent vulgar word was 'fuck' – with all its variants, it amounted to a stunning 201 different forms. We focused on online language that didn't include social media, because large-scale comparisons need robust, purpose-built datasets. In our case, we used the Global Web-Based English (GloWbE) corpus, which was specifically designed to compare how English is used across different regions online. So how much were our findings influenced by the online data we used? Telling results come from research happening at the same time as ours. One study analysed the use of 'fuck' in social networks on X, examining how network size and strength influence swearing in the UK, US and Australia. It used data from 5,660 networks with more than 435,000 users and 7.8 billion words and found what we did. Americans use 'fuck' most frequently, while Australians use it the least, but with the most creative spelling variations (some comfort for anyone feeling let down by our online swearing stats). Americans hold relatively conservative attitudes toward public morality, and their high swearing rates are surprising. The cultural contradiction may reflect the country's strong individualistic culture. Americans often value personal expression – especially in private or anonymous settings like the internet. Meanwhile, public displays of swearing are often frowned upon in the US. This is partly due to the lingering influence of religious norms, which frame swearing – particularly religious-based profanity – as a violation of moral decency. Significantly, the only religious-based swear word in our dataset, 'damn', was used most frequently by Americans. Research suggests swearing is more acceptable in Australian public discourse. Certainly, Australia's public airing of swear words often takes visitors by surprise. The long-running road safety slogan 'If you drink, then drive, you're a bloody idiot' is striking – such language is rare in official messaging elsewhere. Australians may be comfortable swearing in person, but our findings indicate they dial it back online – surprising for a nation so fond of its vernacular. In terms of preferences for specific forms of vulgarity, Americans showed a strong preference for variations of 'ass(hole)', the Irish favored 'feck', the British preferred 'cunt', and Pakistanis leaned toward 'butt(hole)'. The only statistically significant aversion we found was among Americans, who tended to avoid the word 'bloody' (folk wisdom claims the word is blasphemous). People from countries where English is the dominant language – such as the US, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland – tend to swear more frequently and with more lexical variety than people in regions where English is less dominant like India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Ghana or the Philippines. This pattern holds for both frequency and creativity in swearing. But Singapore ranked fourth in terms of frequency of swearing in our study, just behind Australia and ahead of New Zealand, Ireland and Canada. English in Singapore is increasingly seen not as a second language, but as a native language, and as a tool for identity, belonging and creativity. Young Singaporeans use social swearing to push back against authority, especially given the government's strict rules on public language. One possible reason we saw less swearing among non-native English speakers is that it is rarely taught. Despite its frequency and social utility, swearing – alongside humour and informal speech – is often left out of language education. Cultural, social and technological shifts are reshaping linguistic norms, blurring the already blurry lines between informal and formal, private and public language. Just consider the Aussie contributions to the July Oxford English Dictionary updates: expressions like 'to strain the potatoes' (to urinate), 'no wuckers' and 'no wucking furries' (from 'no fucking worries'). Swearing and vulgarity aren't just crass or abusive. While they can be used harmfully, research consistently shows they serve important communicative functions – colourful language builds rapport, expresses humour and emotion, signals solidarity and eases tension. It's clear that swearing isn't just a bad habit that can be easily kicked, like nail-biting or smoking indoors. Besides, history shows that telling people not to swear is one of the best ways to keep swearing alive and well. Martin Schweinberger is a lecturer in applied linguistics at The University of Queensland. Kate Burridge is professor of linguistics at Monash University. Republished under a Creative Commons license from The Conversation.
