Note: This article was first published on Al Mayadeen Net on May 28, 2025.

The partial reopening of Israeli crossings has yielded no meaningful relief in Gaza. Its markets remain devoid of essential goods, especially food, and prices have soared, especially that of flour despite its poor quality.

Although repeated claims of aid delivery have been made, only a few trucks have entered Gaza, far from the 600 needed daily to meet basic needs. After over 80 days of complete closure, a few bakeries reopened briefly before shutting again due to depleted flour and fuel, while famine deepens, particularly in the north, which humanitarian relief does not reach.

The crisis is unfolding amid the Israeli aggression, still ongoing since October 7 and escalating after the March 18 truce collapse, and the expanded ground invasions and mass evacuations, pushing civilians to eat animal feed, spoiled flour, or use legumes as a substitute for flour.

Empty markets and deceptive statements

In this context, Palestinian Nasser Ayash told Al Mayadeen Net that “the occupation claims to be bringing in aid trucks to promote in the media the idea that Gaza is living in prosperity, while the reality on the ground is completely different; commercial shops are empty of essential goods, and prices are unreasonably high, and most residents cannot afford them due to the severe deterioration in their economic conditions and the continuous loss of sources of income.”

Ayash added that Palestinians in Gaza "are facing worsening famine, unable to secure daily sustenance, with sharp shortages of essentials like rice, sugar, and flour, forcing them to buy tiny quantities at unaffordable prices.”

Palestinian Adnan Tafesh confirmed that the occupation’s aid claims are deceptive, meant to evade international pressure. He explained that he went to the markets over the past two days, hoping to see a difference, but found that "they were still empty, their goods scarce, and prices unjustifiable.”

He added, in his statement to Al Mayadeen Net, “We are facing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster. Even the charitable food kitchens that I relied on have completely stopped due to a lack of essential supplies.” He explained that “the talk about the opening of the crossings has become just an illusion promoted far from our bitter reality, which is being exploited to implement the occupation’s military plans and control over the Strip.”

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Tafesh stressed his absolute rejection of the occupation’s cooperation with the new US company distributing aid, which violates the rights of Palestinians and seeks to impose a harsh reality on Gaza residents. He demanded a ceasefire and an end to the genocide, in addition to the opening of crossings and the entry of humanitarian aid.

Collapse of commercial activity

For his part, food vendor Shadi Mansour expressed his deep anger over the shortage of goods and the continued closure of the crossings, accusing the occupation of stealing trucks that it claims to be protecting for the benefit of international organizations.

Mansour explained in his statement to Al Mayadeen Net that the occupation allowed flour to enter bakeries for only one day, before the World Food Programme announced its halt of operations due to a shortage of flour and fuel, noting that “talk about the entry of aid is nothing more than throwing dust in the eyes and is used as cover to implement the criminal plans of the occupation, carried out under the guise of humanitarian work.”

Meanwhile, Rashid al-Hindi, a confectioner in the al-Sahaba market in Gaza City, confirmed to Al Mayadeen Net that his work has completely stopped after he closed his shop due to the shortage of goods and the unprecedented rise in prices. The price of a kilo of sugar rose from 8 shekels (about $2) to 160 shekels (about $45) in just two months, making the production of sweets nearly impossible.

Al-Hindi warned that the continued blockade and the strict restrictions on the entry of goods and aid will lead the Strip to a total collapse of commercial activity, deepening the humanitarian crisis and worsening the famine afflicting the population.

Aid as tool of blackmail, displacement

Although the occupation allowed a very limited number of trucks to enter, the head of the Private Transport Association in Gaza, Nahid Shehibar, described this as “aimed at easing international pressure and a media tactic,” expressing hope that quantities would increase later to end the famine.

The conflict over the “management of humanitarian aid” in Gaza is intensifying, amid accusations of turning it into a tool for political pressure as part of an US-Israeli plan to distribute aid through four points in the southern part of the Strip, supervised by a private company and protected militarily, raising widespread rejection from the United Nations and international organizations for violating humanitarian standards.

For his part, Amjad Shawa, director of the NGO Network in Gaza, expressed his rejection of this plan, considering that it exposes security objectives aimed at imposing forced displacement and violates the principles of humanitarian work through a mechanism supervised by occupation forces and security companies, without considering actual need.

Shawa warned in his statement to Al Mayadeen Net of the absence of safety guarantees and the overcrowding of the population at limited distribution points, stressing that the plan is part of a scheme of establishing “humanitarian bubbles” to divide the Strip and forcibly displace the population.

Meanwhile, economic analyst Ahmad Abu Qamar confirmed to Al Mayadeen Net that “Israel” is systematically managing the starvation of Gaza by allowing in aid that covers only 5% of the population’s needs, despite the Strip’s need for 800 trucks daily. He also noted that the ceasefire agreement, which stipulated the entry of 600 trucks daily, has not been implemented.

Abu Qamar pointed out that the occupation’s plan, in cooperation with the US company, is based on distributing aid through four crowded points serving 2.4 million people, as part of a plan aimed at forcibly displacing the population into camps, warning that “Israel” is using aid as a tool of blackmail and collective punishment.