Arabic version: ارتفاع أسعار الغذاء في غزة مع توقف الشحنات التجارية

According to Al Jazeera, prices for basic goods are rising daily in Gaza after Israeli restrictions on commercial imports entered their fifth consecutive day. Families are buying what they can still find, concerned that shortages and further price increases could follow.

Israel said on Wednesday that commercial goods would no longer enter Gaza, citing a dispute over fees involving Palestinian merchants and Hamas, which retains some authority in the territory. Gaza’s Government Media Office rejected that explanation, saying a 10,000-shekel amount cited by Israel was connected to a voluntary community fund for vulnerable families and financial relief projects.

Residents reported sharp increases in staple prices. Ismail al-Barawi, 52, from Jabalia, said a carton of eggs rose from 35 shekels to between 60 and 70 shekels within two or three days. He said onions rose from five or six shekels per kilogramme to eight to 10 shekels, while avocados increased to about 15 shekels per kilogramme. He has begun buying smaller quantities for his extended family.

The Government Media Office called on mediators and international parties to press for 600 trucks to enter Gaza each day under existing agreements with Israel. It warned that continued restrictions would deepen the humanitarian and economic crisis. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that food prices in Gaza in September 2026 averaged 204 percent above pre-October 2023 levels.

Iman Atallah, a displaced woman in Beit Lahiya, said a sack of flour had risen to about 80 shekels from between 25 and 35 shekels before the closure. Her family relies on rice and lentils, with lunch often their main meal, and cannot afford to stock up. She said families without income would face the greatest pressure if crossings remained closed.