In the midst of Israel’s bombardment and suffocating siege on Gaza, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has reported an “unprecedented” spike in food prices last month. This surge comes at a time when Palestinians are taking advantage of a four-day truce deal to stock up on essential items. Thousands of people were seen crowding around stalls and shops at the Nuseirat market in the central Gaza Strip, desperately seeking much-needed food supplies.
According to the bureau, food and beverage prices increased by 10 percent in October, with vegetables and wheat flour seeing a staggering 32 and 65 percent rise, respectively. The price of water skyrocketed by 100 percent. The conflict led to the suspension of aid deliveries and restricted fuel supplies, leaving even bakeries unable to operate due to the lack of wheat flour, water, and fuel.
The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have long warned about the immediate possibility of starvation and the spread of disease in Gaza. However, the truce between Israel and Hamas has allowed the UN to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of humanitarian aid convoys on October 21.
On Saturday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) delivered a convoy of 61 trucks carrying aid assistance to Gaza City and northern Gaza, where residents were ordered by the Israeli military to evacuate. This delivery marked the largest convoy since the war began, loaded with food, non-food items, water, primary healthcare medicines, and emergency medical supplies.
As part of the four-day deal between Hamas and Israel, 137 aid trucks entered Gaza on Friday, along with 129,000 liters of fuel and four trucks carrying cooking gas for the first time since October 7. However, aid agencies emphasize that much more assistance is needed for the 2.3 million people living in the besieged enclave. The conditions on the ground are described as catastrophic, with over 1.7 million people forcibly displaced across the Gaza Strip and severe overcrowding in UN schools, which serve as shelters.
The UN reports that 2.2 million people in Gaza require food assistance to survive, and there have been more than 44,000 cases of diarrhea and 70,000 cases of respiratory infections. The situation remains dire, highlighting the urgent need for sustained international support and action to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
