Gaza prices soar as commercial goods stop entering for a fifth day

Food prices in Gaza are rising fast after commercial goods stopped entering the territory, with the halt reaching its fifth day on Sunday, October 18. Israel and Gaza's authorities blame each other, and families say they are already cutting meals.

What changed

On Wednesday, October 14, COGAT — the Israeli military body that controls the entry of goods into Gaza — announced that commercial shipments, including fruit and winter clothing, were suspended. Gaza depends entirely on what Israel allows through its crossings, and private traders normally bring in about half of all trucks each week. Aid agencies mostly bring staples such as flour, while merchants supply fresh food such as fruit and meat.

Two versions of events

Israel's account: COGAT says Gaza's merchants themselves cancelled their truck coordination, citing taxes and threats from Hamas. It says merchants reported that Hamas demanded about 10,000 shekels (about $3,200) per truck and required about 30% of goods to be sold for cash, and that Hamas security forces arrested a merchant's son after he refused. "The merchants don't want to bring goods into Gaza," a COGAT spokesperson said, adding that the suspension could be reversed if merchants asked. COGAT warned the situation could undermine the ceasefire.

Gaza's account: The head of Gaza's private truckers' union said "the merchants are not the ones who stopped the shipments" and blamed Israeli restrictions. He confirmed that Gaza's economy ministry had asked merchants for 10,000 shekels per truck, but said officials described it as a donation to help pay civil servants. In a letter to mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, Hamas denied taxing commercial trucks, said it had collected no such fees for three years, called the payment a "voluntary community initiative" for a relief fund, and said the cash rule was meant to ease a severe shortage of banknotes. Gaza's media office called for 600 trucks a day under existing agreements.

Prices in the markets

Residents of Gaza City and Jabalia said prices jumped within two or three days of the halt:

Item	Before the halt	Now
Eggs (carton)	35 shekels	60–70 shekels
Onions (kg)	5–6 shekels	8–10 shekels
Avocados (kg)	7–8 shekels	about 15 shekels
Flour (50kg sack)	25–35 shekels	about 80 shekels

One trader warned that flour could reach 200–300 shekels a sack if the closure continues. Families described buying eggs four or five at a time instead of by the carton, living on rice and lentils, and skipping breakfast or dinner. With unreliable electricity, they cannot store meat or keep fresh vegetables for more than a few days, and most have no money to stock up.

Background

The US-brokered ceasefire that took effect a year ago set a minimum of 600 trucks a day. COGAT says Gaza's roughly 2 million people need about 250. According to the UN humanitarian office, food prices in September were already on average 204% above their pre-war level of October 2023, and hundreds of thousands of people have fallen into poverty during the war.

The global food-security monitor reported earlier this year that conditions had improved since famine was declared in parts of Gaza in August 2025 — a finding Israel rejects — but remained at crisis levels, warning that "even small disruptions to humanitarian access could rapidly reverse recent gains".

Why it matters

Aid groups say aid alone cannot feed Gaza. "The markets need to be functioning," a Norwegian Refugee Council spokesperson said. Without commercial trucks, fresh food, winter clothing and other basics disappear from shops just as colder weather arrives.

What happens next

It is not yet clear whether aid agencies will be allowed to send more trucks to make up for the lost commercial supplies, or whether mediators can resolve the fee dispute. Any agreement would need COGAT to restore truck coordination for private merchants.