{"id":57719,"date":"2026-03-21T14:37:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T18:37:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/israeli-restrictions-drive-up-prices-in-gaza\/21\/03\/2026\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T14:37:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T18:37:35","slug":"israeli-restrictions-drive-up-prices-in-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/israeli-restrictions-drive-up-prices-in-gaza\/21\/03\/2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli restrictions drive up prices in Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Gaza City \u2013<\/strong> In front of a toy stall in Gaza City\u2019s central al-Rimal market, Rania al-Saudi stands with her two young daughters, looking bewildered at the unusually high prices of toys.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Al-Saudi had promised her daughters she would buy them two dolls to celebrate Eid, but the exorbitant toy prices mean she simply can\u2019t afford them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Her elder daughter, six-year-old Razan, didn\u2019t understand her mother\u2019s worried expressions as Rania asked the vendor for the price of each toy. With every price, Rania gasped and said, \u201cOh my God, it\u2019s so expensive\u2026 this used to be much cheaper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Faced with her daughter\u2019s insistence, Rania pleaded with the vendor to lower the prices, but he apologised, saying he could not because getting hold of toys to sell was incredibly difficult, considering <span>Israeli restrictions<\/span> on importing items into Gaza.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Rania was not alone. Other parents and children repeatedly came to the vendor\u2019s stall to ask about toys, but not one of them made a purchase. In Gaza\u2019s current war-driven <span>economic crisis<\/span>, the prices are simply unaffordable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Rania, 43, is originally from Shujayea in eastern Gaza, but has been displaced by the war to the west of the city. She told Al Jazeera that she came looking for toys in an attempt to put smiles on her daughters\u2019 faces before the holiday, but her wish was not fulfilled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe prices are extremely high, and the vendors tell us that toys have not entered Gaza since the start of the war. But what did our children do to deserve this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Rania recalled the many toys her daughters had in their home before it was destroyed, and how she used to make sure they had toys for every occasion and every holiday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cEid holidays are for children\u2019s joy, and children are happy with toys and entertainment. But our children are deprived of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While speaking to Al Jazeera, Rania tried to calm her daughter Lulwa, who had begun to cry after realising from her mother\u2019s words that she would not get the doll she wanted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThis doll used to cost no more than 15 shekels ($5) before the war; now it costs 60 shekels ($20),\u201d she said to Al Jazeera, frustrated. \u201cThis is something I cannot afford. Everything is expensive and overpriced.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Rania\u2019s voice grew heavier as she explained that she was unable to even buy new Eid clothes for her daughters \u2013 a tradition across the Muslim world \u2013 due to the high prices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cMy daughters will not be happy this Eid. I wanted to compensate by getting them dolls, but even that is impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Toys have been in short supply during <span>the war<\/span>, which began in October 2023, with bombing and displacement meaning that most children either had their toys destroyed, lost, or left behind. Rania says that her children have been bored, and have had to develop their own ways of playing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cAll the children in the camp face the same situation, so they spend their time playing simple street games like hopscotch, hide-and-seek, or drawing in the sand,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cBut my daughters always wished for a doll. I once tried to make one for them, but they didn\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Israel restricts the entry of many non-essential goods into Gaza, including toys [Abdelhakim Abu Riash\/Al Jazeera]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Rising prices and market impact<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Toy sellers say they are not to blame for the high prices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Anwar al-Huwaity has been in the business for 20 years. He told Al Jazeera that his stall is still operating despite Israel\u2019s devastation of Gaza, but that business has become extremely difficult.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cBefore the war, toys were widely available,\u201d Anwar said. \u201cToday, we go from one trader to another, searching. Sometimes we find toys with someone who had them stored, but they sell it at a very high price, up to three times its normal price.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He added that most toys that now reach Gaza do not enter through official crossings, but in limited quantities via unofficial routes, making them very difficult to obtain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The cost of bringing toys into Gaza has become extremely high. Anwar said some middlemen demand up to 12,000 shekels ($3,870) for a small shipment, and if it is confiscated or destroyed, the loss falls entirely on the trader.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWe buy merchandise at high prices, so we have to sell it at high prices as well,\u201d Anwar said apologetically.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Anwar said that toys were now up to 300 percent more expensive compared to pre-war prices. The holiday season, the main income generator for toy sellers, used to bring in between $6,500 and $10,000, he explained. Now, he\u2019d be lucky to sell $1,000 of stock \u2013 and most of that is bulk sales to other traders, rather than regular customers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Anwar may be a businessman, but he shared that the hardest part of his job was seeing children ask for toys that their parents cannot afford.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cMany parents can\u2019t buy toys due to the economic situation. People are barely able to secure food,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Anwar\u2019s job has gone from providing children joy, to seeing them disappointed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI have started hating my workday because I know the prices are exorbitant, and when the children and families see the toys, they get upset, especially during the holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cPeople come to buy toys and beg me to lower the price,\u201d he said. \u201cThey say, \u2018This child is an orphan, that child is an orphan \u2026 his parents were killed in the war\u2019. It feels like all children in Gaza have become orphans.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A toy seller in Gaza\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"770\" height=\"513\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/UQfGyyq.5IRn8jyaWr9K9w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/al_jazeera_289\/059210210ffbbdd78c43885215014caf\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Toy sellers say they are forced to pass on high prices to customers [Abdelhakim Abu Riash\/Al Jazeera]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Restrictions on recreational goods during the Gaza war<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October 2023, trade has been heavily restricted due to the closure of commercial crossings by Israel, especially Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom), the main entry point for goods into Gaza from Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza in 2023, and again for several months in 2025, leading to the declaration of a famine in northern Gaza.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Conditions have improved since a \u201cceasefire\u201d was declared in October, but Israel is continuing regular strikes \u2013 and continuing to heavily restrict the entry of non-essential commercial goods, including toys and recreational materials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Although no official law or declaration explicitly bans toys from entering Gaza, administrative and security restrictions, combined with the prioritisation of humanitarian goods, have effectively made entry of these items almost impossible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The United Nations has noted that restrictions on commercial goods, including toys, have affected the availability of both essential and non-essential goods in Gaza.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Near Anwar\u2019s toy stall is another run by Ahmed Ziara. The 24-year-old has been selling toys for several years, but the war has forced him to periodically stop trading.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cBefore the war, I worked in major toy exhibitions,\u201d Ahmed explained. \u201cNow toys rarely enter, and we often have to smuggle them, sometimes hidden inside clothes or other goods.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ahmed confirmed that most of the toys he acquires are old stock already in Gaza, sold at high prices due to scarcity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He mentioned that popular Eid holiday toys, which were once inexpensive, now cost triple or even quadruple their previous prices: a small toy car that sold for 40 shekels ($13) last year now costs 150 shekels ($48), a small ball that once cost 3 shekels ($1) is now 30 shekels ($10), building blocks are nearly unavailable, and dolls cost more than 70 shekels ($22.50).<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cBuying from traders is hard, and selling is hard due to the economic situation,\u201d Ahmed told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cSometimes I have to sell below the expected price just to clear stock, but most of the time we must raise prices due to high costs and difficulty obtaining toys.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIf conditions improve and toys are allowed in normally, prices will return to normal, and children and families will be able to enjoy the holiday as before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThis work is not easy,\u201d he added, contemplating. \u201cSometimes I sit alone and tell myself what I am doing is unfair because prices are extremely high. But despite everything, we love to bring joy to children, even for a short time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/eid-without-toys-israeli-restrictions-180320265.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gaza City &ndash; In front of a toy stall in Gaza City&rsquo;s central al-Rimal market, Rania al-Saudi stands with her two young<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/israeli-restrictions-drive-up-prices-in-gaza\/21\/03\/2026\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/dENL.jgrnaj7.ifm2PPmnQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD04MDA7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/al_jazeera_289\/1971982b3ece8f0544c1cb075d87aded","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57719"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57719"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57719\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}