Commercial goods blocked from entering Gaza for five days, prices of daily essentials rising every day

Israel's restrictions on the import of commercial goods into Gaza have entered their fifth consecutive day, and with that, the prices of daily necessities are rising every day. Residents say the families who have no means to buy extra are the ones in the most trouble.

Since Wednesday, Israel has said commercial goods will no longer enter Gaza. Since then, the prices of main food items including flour, eggs and onions have risen rapidly. The report said the decision came against the backdrop of a dispute over fees between Palestinian traders and Hamas; Hamas still holds some authority in the Gaza Strip.

Following the war that began in October 2023 and the strict blockade, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have fallen into poverty. As incomes have fallen, the high prices of basic goods have gone beyond the reach of many.

The impact is clear in the markets. In markets somewhat busier than usual, people are trying to buy and keep whatever they can get, so that the shock of shortages and further price rises ahead can be handled. But without money in hand, there is no opportunity to stockpile either.

Ismail al-Barawi (52), a resident of Jabalia in northern Gaza, said he saw a big jump in prices within two or three days of the crossing closing on Wednesday. He described how this cycle — uncertainty over the crossing's condition, then price rises — keeps returning again and again in Gaza.

According to Barawi's account, a carton of eggs that cost 35 shekels (about 11.34 dollars) is now selling for 60 to 70 shekels (18 to 21 dollars). Onions have risen from five-six shekels per kilogram to eight to 10 shekels, and avocado has risen from seven-eight shekels per kilogram to about 15 shekels.

'This increase has happened in just two or three days,' Barawi said. He expressed concern about where prices will go if the crossing remains closed for another 10 to 15 days. Because of the price rise, he is now buying only four or five eggs instead of a full carton of 30 eggs.

Barawi also expressed anger over the role of traders. In his words, as soon as it is heard that the crossing may stay closed, prices are raised, which further aggravates the problem of the real shortage. He also feared that the price of a 50-kilogram sack of flour could rise to as much as 200 or even 300 shekels (60 to 90 dollars).

Barawi has to arrange food for an extended family of about 11-12 people, which includes married daughters and their children. If he has money in hand, he gives priority to basic goods such as flour, rice, cooking oil, onions and potatoes. But fresh vegetables spoil within a few days, and because of the irregular electricity supply it is difficult to preserve meat for long — so there are limits to stockpiling too.

Gaza's government media office on Thursday rejected Israel's explanation regarding this suspension. The office denied that Gaza's authorities had imposed taxes or government fees on commercial trucks. The office said the 10,000 shekels (about 3,242 dollars) mentioned by Israel was linked to a voluntary community fund for vulnerable families and financial assistance projects.

The media office also said the 30 percent rate measure on cash transactions had been introduced in accordance with an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce to deal with the shortage of cash liquidity and the circulation of worn-out notes. The office alleged that Israel is using this dispute to further limit supplies in Gaza, which has been under blockade since 2007, and called on mediators and international parties to press to allow 600 trucks to enter every day in accordance with the existing agreement.

The United Nations humanitarian coordination office OCHA said that in September 2026, food prices in Gaza were on average 204 percent higher than the levels before October 2023. Even before the new border restrictions, the situation report of 2 October had depicted widespread humanitarian pressure on residents.

Iman Atallah (50), displaced in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, said this situation of halted food supplies has brought back the memory of the man-made famine that struck Gaza in 2025. Before the crossing closed, a sack of flour was available for 25 to 35 shekels (seven and a half to ten and a half dollars), but now it is about 80 shekels (24 dollars).

Atallah said the flour received as aid does not last her family even a month. Fresh fruit and eggs are not now completely beyond reach, but buying them is very difficult. Earlier more could be eaten, eggs could be bought for the children; now those things have had to be given up. The family now relies on rice and lentils, gets only a little bread, sometimes breakfast or dinner is skipped, and lunch becomes the main meal of the day.

'We cannot stockpile, because we have no income,' Atallah said. If the crossing remains closed for 10 or 15 days, everything will become extremely expensive; those who have money will stockpile, those who do not will only watch — this inequality is now the reality of many families in Gaza. The next turn of the situation depends on when the border reopens again.