Food Prices Soar in Gaza as Israel Halts Commercial Imports

Prices climb every day

In Gaza, the prices of essential goods are rising daily as Israel's restrictions on commercial imports entered a fifth consecutive day. Families already battered by the blockade of the strip are now stockpiling whatever they can buy, fearing shortages and further price increases.

Prices of flour, eggs, onions and other staples have surged since Wednesday, when Israel announced it would not allow commercial goods into Gaza. The move comes amid a dispute over fees between Palestinian traders and Hamas, which retains partial control of the strip.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have been pushed into poverty since Israel launched the war in October 2023. The prices of basic goods have soared while incomes have collapsed because of the fighting and the tightening blockade.

Residents who cannot afford to buy in bulk will be forced to keep buying food whenever they can. If the crossings stay closed, they will be the hardest hit by the daily price rises.

Impact in the markets

The effect of the import restrictions is visible in the markets, which are more crowded than usual. Ismail al-Barawi, 52, who lives in Jabalia in northern Gaza, saw prices rise sharply within just two to three days of the crossings closing on Wednesday.

He described a recurring cycle of uncertainty in Gaza tied to the status of the crossings, which usually brings price increases. According to al-Barawi, a carton of eggs that previously cost 35 shekels (about $11.34) now sells for 60 to 70 shekels ($18 to $21). A kilogram of onions has risen from 5 or 6 shekels ($1.50–$1.80) to 8 to 10 shekels ($2.40–$3), while a kilogram of butter has gone from 7 or 8 shekels ($2.10–$2.40) to about 15 shekels ($4.50).

"These increases happened in just two or three days," he said, voicing concern about prices if the crossings remain closed for another 10 to 15 days.

The price rises have forced him to buy less than he needs. Instead of a carton of 30 eggs, he may buy only four or five. "Today, everyone is doing business off people's losses. There is no mercy at all," he said, expressing anger at traders whom he accused of raising prices as soon as they hear the crossings may stay closed, worsening the real shortages.

Al-Barawi predicted a 50 kg sack of flour could reach 200 or even 300 shekels ($60–$90) if the crossings stay shut. He is responsible for feeding a large family of about 11 or 12 people, including married daughters and their children. When he has money, he prioritizes basics such as flour, rice, cooking oil, onions and potatoes.

In such uncertainty, it is understandable that Palestinians stock up before prices rise further. But according to him, many families in Gaza have no spare cash. "There are people who cannot even feed themselves for a day. How can they save or stockpile when they have no money?" he said.

Stockpiling also has limits. Fresh vegetables spoil within days, and unstable electricity makes it hard to keep meat for long.

Response from Gaza authorities

On Thursday, the Gaza Government Media Office rejected Israel's explanation for halting imports, denying that the authorities in the strip levy taxes or government fees on commercial trucks. The office said the 10,000 shekels ($3,242) cited by Israel related to a voluntary community fund to support vulnerable families and financial relief projects.

The office also said measures requiring a 30 percent ratio on cash transactions had been introduced under an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce to address a liquidity shortage and the circulation of worn banknotes. It accused Israel of using the dispute to impose further restrictions on goods entering Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.

According to the office, the Gaza authorities are not responsible for the drop in the number of trucks entering the strip, and it called on mediators and the international community to push for 600 trucks a day to enter Gaza, in line with existing agreements with Israel. The office warned that prolonged restrictions would deepen the humanitarian and economic crisis in Gaza.

Food beyond reach

Food remains out of reach for many households in Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that food prices in Gaza in September 2026 were on average 204 percent higher than before October 2023 — when the war began and Israel tightened restrictions on goods entering the strip. OCHA's situation report of October 2, before the new border restrictions were imposed, documented the broader humanitarian pressures residents face.

Iman Atallah, 50, a displaced woman living in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, said the halt in food deliveries revived memories of the man-made famine that hit the strip in 2025.

According to Atallah, the price of a sack of flour rose from 25 to 35 shekels ($7.50–$10.50) before the crossings closed to about 80 shekels ($24). With a small income and a family to feed, she said even buying basic food was becoming increasingly difficult. "Before the crossings closed, flour was affordable. We managed to buy it. Now it costs 80 shekels," she said.

The flour her family receives through aid distributions lasts less than a month. Fresh fruit and eggs are not entirely out of reach, but she said: "We used to eat more, we could buy eggs for the children. Now we have had to give those up."

Her family now relies on rice and lentils, with only enough money to buy a little bread. Atallah said they sometimes skip breakfast or dinner, with lunch the main meal of the day. Her family is among many in Gaza that cannot afford extra supplies and face a bleak outlook if the crisis continues.

"We cannot stockpile because we have no income," she said. "If the crossings stay closed for another 10 or 15 days, everything will become extremely expensive. Those with money will stockpile, and those without will just have to watch."