Gaza food prices spike and shortages loom after Israel halts aid happymamay

The United Nations Humanitarian Agency said that the prices of invasive materials in Gaza have increased and food parcels will be exhausted soon after Israel prevented the entry of humanitarian aid.

OCha’s partners have reported that the prices of flour and vegetables are more weak in some cases, as they tell the BBC.

If the mass continues, “at least 80 societal kitchen may run out, and Usha soon run out.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose to stop helping at the weekend, accusing Hamas of stealing supplies and refusing an American proposal to extend the ceasefire in Israel. A Hamas spokesman said the stop was “cheap blackmail.”

Thousands of aid trucks had risen to Gaza every week under the ceasefire, which started on January 19.

After the expiration of the first stage of the ceasefire on Saturday, Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of stealing aid to “financing the terrorist machine.”

Hamas previously denied the theft of humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Netanyahu also said that Hamas refused to accept the extension of the ceasefire for six weeks, according to different conditions from those agreed previously, as proposed by US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkev.

After stopping aid in response, Ocha said on Tuesday that some community kitchens that are still working “will need to start controlling the meal content or reduce the number of meals prepared to deal with the expected shortage.”

The partners will also have to reduce food classes.

As a result, Abu Qais Arian told Khan Yunis, BBC Arabic, that the cost of the basic goods has doubled during Sunday night. He said that prices have already multiplied or multiplied three times since the war began.

Other residents said that the price of a kilo of tomatoes increased overnight from five shekels (1 pounds) to ten, and a kilo of cucumber from six to 17 shekels.

“We can barely tolerate the purchase of a kilo of tomato just to satisfy our hunger,” said a man, Issam, adding that people cannot buy food “because there is no cash liquidity.”

Issa Mit, a resident of Gaza City, said that there is a shortage of goods and very high consumption, and was “very afraid that the prices will increase again.”

“The last decision is unfair because our children make mistakes. How will our children live in light of these high prices that will increase in an arbitrary way?” He said.

Some blame traders for long -distance hiking prices, saying they were taking advantage of the situation.

The merchant Mahmoud Abu Mohsen BBC Al -Arabi told that he raised the prices because the wholesalers he bought from their actions as well.

“For example, I used to buy sugar for five shekels, three shekels or four shekels, but now I buy sugar for six shekels, which means that I am not making more than a small profit,” he said. “The news announced by Netanyahu is the reason for people.”

“The news has created uncertainty and fear, which caused the high prices of food,” Caroline Seoin, a spokeswoman for the Medical Without Borders (MSF), said in a statement.

“Israel again prevents a full set of aid, using it as a bargaining chip,” said Seoin. “This is unacceptable, obscene, and it will have devastating consequences.”

Qatar and Egypt, which helped mediate the ceasefire, condemned the step of Israel.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar described the decision “a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement” and “international humanitarian law” in a statement. The news agency reported that the Foreign Ministry accused Israel of using hunger as a “weapon against the Palestinian people.”

“Hamas has been mixed for months and months of supplies. They have enough food to feed the obesity epidemic,” David Menker, a spokesman for the Israeli government diplomacy of the Prime Minister’s Office, told a video conference.

“The supplies exist, but Hamas does not share it,” he added.

Several aids are used: a month ago, Osha said that more than a million people – nearly half of the population – have received food aid since the ceasefire began.

All aid, not just food, is affected by the siege. Charity Medical Aid told the Palestinians (MAP) that he was inside Gaza, who had some medicines in the reserves of its clinics and assistive devices for persons with disabilities, as well as cleaning groups.

“However, we do not currently have high help reserves because most of the elements that enter immediate distribution,” the charity said. “Unfortunately, we do not have a stock that we can use during a long closure of Gaza.”

The ceasefire aims to end 15 months of conflict, after Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took another 251 hostages in its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Israel responded with an air and ground campaign in Gaza, killing at least 4,8405 people, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.