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07-03-2025
GAZA STRIP: Food prices in Gaza have spiked and aid food parcels could soon run out after Israel blocked the entry of humanitarian aid, the UN’s humanitarian agency said.
OCHA’s partners reported that flour and vegetable prices had more than doubled in some cases, with Gazans telling media the same.
If the blockade continued, “at least 80 community kitchens may soon run out of stock” and remaining food parcels that “will support 500,000 people, will soon run out”, OCHA said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose to stop aid at the weekend, accusing Hamas of stealing supplies and refusing a US proposal to extend the Gaza ceasefire. A Hamas spokesman said the halt was “cheap blackmail”.
The foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling the humanitarian situation in Gaza “catastrophic” and expressing deep concern at Israel’s action.
“A halt on goods and supplies entering Gaza, such as that announced by the government of Israel would risk violating international humanitarian law,” the statement read. “Humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool.”
The ministers said it was vital that the ceasefire was sustained, all hostages held by Hamas were released, and continued flows of aid were ensured.
Thousands of aid trucks had surged into Gaza each week under the ceasefire deal that started on 19 January. After the ceasefire’s first phase expired on Saturday night, Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of stealing aid “to finance its terror machine”.
Hamas has previously denied stealing humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Netanyahu also said Hamas was refusing to accept a six-week ceasefire extension, under different terms from those previously agreed, as proposed by US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff.
After the halt of aid in response, OCHA said on Tuesday that some community kitchens which remain operational “will need to start to adjust meal content or reduce the number of meals prepared to cope with anticipated shortages”.
Partners would also “be forced to reduce food rations”. While they are distributing previously dispatched food parcels, remaining supplies are expected to run out.
Abu Qais Aryan, from Khan Younis, told media the cost of basic goods doubled over Sunday night. Prices had already doubled or tripled since the war began, he said.
Other residents said the price of a 1kg (2.2lb) of tomatoes rose overnight from five shekels ($1.38; £1.07) to 10, and a 1kg of cucumbers from six to 17 shekels.
“We could barely afford to buy a kilo of tomatoes just to satisfy our hunger,” said one man, Issam, adding that people could not buy food “because there is no cash liquidity”.
Issa Meit, from Gaza City, said there was a shortage of goods and very high consumption, and he was “very afraid that prices will increase again”.
“The recent decision is unfair as it wrongs our children. How will our children live in light of these high prices that will increase in an arbitrary way?” he said.
Some blamed merchants for hiking prices, saying they were exploiting the situation.
Merchant Mahmoud Abu Mohsen told media he raised prices because the wholesalers he purchases from did as well.
“For example, I used to buy sugar for five shekels, three shekels, or four shekels, but now I buy sugar for six shekels, meaning I don’t make more than a small profit,” he said. (Int’l News Desk)
