Escalating Iran-Israel conflict casts a shadow over Gazans, sparking concerns that their ongoing struggle will be overlooked by the world again.

Escalating Iran-Israel conflict casts a shadow over Gazans, sparking concerns that their ongoing struggle will be overlooked by the world again.

The littl'un girl, Bisan Qwaider, bawls on the grimy floor, hugging her old man's shoe tight to her, as her bitter wails echo through the air. Anger fills her veins as she cries for her dad who was murdered trying to feed her and her ten famished siblings.

Photographer Khaled Sha'ath snaps the tragic scene in Mawassi, southern Gaza, on Sunday. Qwaider's father, Shadi, had abandoned his family's tent a few days prior, heading towards Ma'an, east of Khan Younis. Although he knew the risks – Ma'an had been under Israeli evacuation orders for a spell and had endured relentless Israeli bombardment, Shadi believed he could manage to gather some grub for his kids.

Gaza is battling a horrendous hunger crisis. A UN-endorsed report published in late April stated that an alarming one in five Gazans was teetering on the brink of starvation and that the region was drawing ever closer to famine. Things have only deteriorated since then, as per the UN.

Sha'ath reports that Qwaider met his end in an airstrike, with his body being retrieved from the rubble on Sunday. Hundreds of Gazans have lost their lives in recent weeks while searching for food, as per Gaza health authorities.

CNN has pestered the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for comments concerning the situation in Ma'an. In response, the IDF sent CNN a map of Gaza, with "dangerous combat zones" marked in red, which included Ma'an, alongside over half of the territory.

In late May, Israel loosened a 11-week complete blockade on Gaza, but humanitarian organizations state that the aid now entering is a measly fraction of what's actually required.

"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 declared last week.

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has provoked outrage globally, even pushing some of Israel's closest allies to voice their concerns.

France, the United Kingdom, and Canada issued an unusual statement last month admonishing Israel and threatening "concrete steps" if the situation in Gaza doesn't improve. The UK halted trade negotiations with Israel and sanctioned West Bank settlers last month, and the European Union promised to review a key cooperation agreement with Israel.

However, as tensions skyrocket between Israel and Iran, Gazans worry that the limited pressure applied to Israel over their suffering will soon vanish.

"The war between Israel and Iran made people forget about us completely. No one is looking, there's no food or water or anything. Every day, people go to try to find food and aid, and they end up being carried in body bags," Mohammad, a Gazan hiding his last name, told CNN on Monday.

Umm Mustafa, another Gazan, shared her thoughts, stating that the growing conflict between Iran and Israel means that their suffering has fallen off the international news radar.

"All the attention has shifted to the Israeli-Iranian war, even though the Gaza Strip has been wiped off the map," Mustafa declared.

Abu Juma'a, residing in Gaza City, informed 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 means that there is no one calling for the food and water to be delivered in Gaza."

One in 40 lifeless

More than 55,300 Gazans have perished and over 128,700 have been injured since October 7, 2023, as reported by health authorities there.

The figures are shocking: The death toll represents roughly 2.5% of the entire Gaza population, implying that out of every 40 Palestinians living in Gaza prior to the war, one has been snuffed out.

A peer-reviewed study published earlier this year in The Lancet journal claimed that the number of deaths in Gaza is significantly higher than the figures reported by local authorities. CNN cannot independently corroborate these allegations, as Israel has banned international journalists from independently traveling to Gaza since October 7.

While the deadly famine crisis worsens, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned on Monday that people are struggling to access basic necessities because of Israeli restrictions on what can be brought into the territory.

Meanwhile, the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the US and Israel, has struggled to meet the task. The organization, established during accusations that Hamas steals aid in Gaza and profits from reselling it, has been criticized by several international aid agencies for its inefficiency.

According to Gaza health authorities, at least 300 people have perished since the GHF opened its facilities in late May, situated in zones under active combat.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced last week that Israeli authorities have permitted only a select group of UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to resume delivering aid into Gaza since partially lifting the blockade. restricted. "Only very limited amounts of certain food items, nutrition supplies, some health supplies, and water purification items" are currently allowed, as per OCHA.

Other essential supplies, including 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 feels like the world has abandoned us," another Gaza resident, Abu Mohammed, shared with CNN.

For young Bisan Qwaider, the only memento she could clutch onto was her father's shoe. As she howled for her dad, she glared up at the sky and shouted an accusation to those she believed were responsible for his death, "May God hold you accountable."

1. International news outlets are reporting on the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza, where one in five residents is teetering on the brink of starvation and the region is moving closer to famine.
2. Photographer Khaled Sha'ath captured the tragic scene of Bisan Qwaider, a little girl crying on the floor, losing her father who was murdered while trying to feed his family.
3. Shadi Qwaider, the girl's father, had abandoned his family's tent to head towards Ma'an, east of Khan Younis, to gather food for his children.
4. Gaza health authorities report that hundreds of Gazans have lost their lives in recent weeks, while searching for food.
5. CNN has reached out to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for comments on the situation in Ma'an, but they only sent a map of Gaza, marking "dangerous combat zones" in red, which included Ma'an, alongside over half of the territory.
6. Israel loosened its 11-week complete blockade on Gaza in late May, but humanitarian organizations state that the aid now entering is only a fraction of what's actually required.
7. The UN's humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has warned that without immediate and significantly scaled-up aid, Gaza may descend into famine, resulting in further chaos and loss of lives.
8. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has sparked outrage worldwide, even pushing some of Israel's closest allies to voice their concerns.
9. France, the United Kingdom, and Canada issued a statement last month criticizing Israel and threatening "concrete steps" if the situation in Gaza doesn't improve.
10. The UK halted trade negotiations with Israel and sanctioned West Bank settlers last month, and the European Union promised to review a key cooperation agreement with Israel.
11. However, tensions between Israel and Iran are escalating, making Gazans worry that the limited pressure applied to Israel over their suffering will soon dissipate.
12. Mohammad, a Gazan hiding his last name, told CNN that every day people go to find food and aid, but end up being carried in body bags.
13. Umm Mustafa, another Gazan, stated that the growing conflict between Iran and Israel means that their suffering has fallen off the international news radar.
14. Abu Juma'a from Gaza City informed CNN that while there are voices calling for humanitarian aid, the Israeli-Iranian war means that there is no one calling for the food and water to be delivered in Gaza.
15. More than 55,300 Palestinians have perished and over 128,700 have been injured since October 7, 2023, according to health authorities in Gaza.
16. A peer-reviewed study published earlier this year in The Lancet journal claimed that the number of deaths in Gaza is significantly higher than the figures reported by local authorities.
17. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Monday that people are struggling to access basic necessities because of Israeli restrictions on what can be brought into the territory.
18. The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the US and Israel, has struggled to meet the growing needs in Gaza.
19. Israel has only permitted a select group of UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to resume delivering aid into Gaza since partially lifting the blockade.
20. Only very limited amounts of certain food items, nutrition supplies, some health supplies, and water purification items are currently allowed, as per the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
21. Other essential supplies, including shelter materials, hygiene products, and medical equipment, are still being blocked by Israel, according to OCHA.
22. Another Gaza resident, Abu Mohammed, shared that the price of a bag of flour is now 300 to 500 times more expensive than before, leaving people without food or water.
23. In workplace-wellness, addressing medical-conditions like chronic-diseases such as chronic-kidney-disease, COPD, type-2-diabetes, cancer, and respiratory-conditions requires a holistic approach.
24. Digestive-health, eye-health, hearing, and skin-care are essential components of health-and-wellness, and require attention and proper therapies-and-treatments.
25. Fitness-and-exercise, nutrition, and family-health are interconnected areas that play a significant role in maintaining overall wellbeing.
26. Alzheimers-disease, autoimmune-disorders, climate-change, renewable-energy, and manufacturing are topics of discussion in environmental-science and industry.
27. men's-health, women's-health, parenting, multiple-sclerosis, migraine, cardiovascular-health, psoriasis, neurological-disorders, breast-cancer, finance, energy, finance, politics, general-news, crime-and-justice, are ongoing concerns in various sectors of life, including finance, healthcare, and society at large.

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