More food reaches Gaza, but many cannot afford it

Hundreds of trucks enter the Gaza Strip daily now. Some carry aid from international organisations. Others bring donations from foreign governments.

- Liam Stack

But relief workers say most of what is going in appears to be commercial goods bound for markets.

While there is no question that aid flows have increased since the ceasefire began two weeks ago, many residents say they cannot afford to buy the food that is for sale.

“Most of the trucks are of a commercial nature, and after two years of this war, most Gazans are unable to purchase items from the markets,” said Mr Bahaa Zaqout, a spokesman for the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee.

“The prices of the items that are entering are very expensive.”

Gaza resident Rami Abu Moleg, 45, said his family had eaten chicken for the first time in eight months on Oct 24, but only because his brother-in-law had paid for it.

The price of chicken has dropped dramatically since the ceasefire, from about US$33 (S$42.70) a pound to about US$12, he added.

“This is still expensive for me but at least it went down,” said Mr Abu Moleg, who drove a taxi before the war. “Everything in the market entered Gaza for the traders. It was not aid.”

The war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel, during which roughly 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.

Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. It also created an immense humanitarian crisis.

The war destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure and economy. It shut down schools and knocked out the electrical grid. It has devastated healthcare and deprived people of clean water and adequate food.

In August, a United Nations-backed panel declared famine in and around Gaza City, and the following month, a separate UN commission accused Israel of committing genocide.

Israel has denied that there is famine in Gaza, saying the panel used flawed methodology, and has also denied the genocide allegations.