Prices of essential goods in Gaza have surged to unprecedented levels, with the cost of basic items soaring by more than 40% in March alone, as Israel’s continued blockade and closure of crossings choke off access to food, fuel, and aid.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the rise in prices is not the result of normal market dynamics, but a direct consequence of the siege and the renewed military campaign launched in mid-March. With crossings sealed and humanitarian convoys denied entry, the cost of daily survival has become unbearable for a population already crushed by displacement, hunger, and bombardment.

During Ramadan—a month meant for reflection, family, and shared meals—Palestinians in Gaza are instead battling starvation. Flour and bread have become rare and unaffordable commodities. Cooking gas is nearly impossible to obtain. Vegetables, poultry, and even drinking water have become luxuries. Markets once bustling with life now mirror the devastation of the Strip itself: shelves empty, prices out of reach, and hope in short supply.

The spike in consumer prices is yet another symptom of the systemic deprivation imposed on Gaza’s population. It is not inflation—it is strangulation, deliberately inflicted. As the world watches, Palestinians are being forced to pay for their very existence, one meal at a time.