In Gaza, where bombs have long replaced any sense of normal life, another silent weapon is tightening its grip—cash. The destruction of banks, the blockade of physical currency, and the suffocation of economic life have created a man-made financial famine. For hundreds of thousands already pushed to the edge by war and displacement, the ability to withdraw money has become as rare as finding clean water or bread.

Since late 2023, Israeli forces have systematically dismantled Gaza’s financial infrastructure. ATMs lie in ruins, bank branches have been reduced to rubble, and the entry of currency has been deliberately halted. The result is catastrophic: residents queue for hours hoping to find a few shekels, or else pay massive commissions to access their own money through the black market. This is not economic collapse—it is engineered collapse.

Palestinians are no longer just under siege by air and land; they are now under siege in their wallets. The denial of money, like the denial of food and medicine, is part of a broader strategy to break the will of an entire people. This is not collateral damage—it is calculated cruelty, inflicted with the aim of dismantling the very structure of civilian life.

And yet, as Gaza’s economy bleeds out, the world continues to look away. Without immediate international action to lift the blockade, restore financial flows, and hold those responsible to account, the slow death of a people under siege will continue—out of sight, but not out of memory.