Prices soar as Gaza smuggling booms. Officials, soldiers and middlemen are accused of cashing in
Everything from iPhones and solar panels to fuel and anesthetics are also brought into the tiny coastal territory illegally. Israel restricts quantities of some goods and bans others outright.
An Associated Press investigation reveals a booming market for goods restricted by Israel into Gaza. The report, based on Israeli court documents and interviews with traders, merchants, truckers, officials, and residents, uncovers a lucrative trade in cigarettes, iPhones, fuel, and solar panels. The smuggled items reach desperate Gaza residents, whose prices for everyday essentials have skyrocketed. Many sources spoke anonymously due to the risks involved in the illegal trade. Key takeaways from the report include:
Gaza's Hamas-led government collects some profit from the smuggling of items into the enclave. Merchants report up to 20% of the price if they inform the authorities, while this percentage rises to 80% if the goods are discovered and unreported. However, authorities do not officially classify this as "taxes" and have ceased taxing legally imported goods since the beginning of the war.
The Hamas administration, through anonymous sources, claims that the money collected funds social services and pays salaries for the civil service and police force. They estimate that up to $100 million has been generated from smuggled goods since the ceasefire deal began.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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