The entry of commercial goods into Gaza continues to be hindered by security checks imposed by Israel since the start of the war and constraints on movement, including multiple inspections, long queues at checkpoints, and devastated roads.

But from speaking with traders and officials, reporters found that multiple layers of profiteering compound the problem. They described a broken and exploited system where money is skimmed at every point in the commercial supply chain, from transport to procurement and sale, leaving Gazans with scant goods at sky-high prices.

At the An-najmah market in Rafah, where street vendors display small quantities of goods including fava beans, sardines, tuna fish, lentils, sugar, juices, and sweets, shoppers and traders said the price of some food items had risen tenfold since the beginning of the war.