One of the hardest parts right now—beyond the hunger and the bombs—is the complete lack of cash in Gaza

[Eva Libre]

One of the hardest parts right now—beyond the hunger and the bombs—is the complete lack of cash in Gaza.

There’s no money in the streets. People can’t buy food even when it’s available.
But why?

Here’s what’s happening:

Organized looters—many believe backed, encouraged, or at the very least protected by the Israeli army—wait for food trucks to make it through the border. If the food gets in at all, these groups intercept it. They steal the aid, then resell it at outrageous prices.

But it doesn’t end there.

These looters don’t use the cash—they just hoard it.
They don’t need to buy food—they’ll steal another truck tomorrow.
So they take the little cash left in Gaza and pull it out of circulation.

The result?

Families can’t buy food.
Markets collapse.
And if someone abroad—say a relative in the U.S.—wants to send help, the cost of getting money into Gaza has skyrocketed.

What used to cost a horrific 25% fee now demands up to 45%.
That's nearly half the money gone before it even reaches the person who needs it.

This is engineered suffering.
It’s not just war. It’s economic warfare.

Israel controls every single entry and exit point into Gaza.
They occupy 80% of the land.
They are responsible for everything that’s happening inside.

Don’t let anyone tell you this is complicated. It’s not.
This is a human-made crisis—calculated, cruel, and entirely preventable.

Hani Almadhoun
www.gazasoupkitchen.org