The Israeli occupation intensified its economic pressure on Gaza during the war by imposing restrictive trade and financial controls that drained Gaza’s economy and worsened humanitarian suffering.
According to Arabi21, Israel has limited imports to just 10 approved merchants through opaque arrangements outside Palestinian oversight, effectively using Gaza’s commercial sector as a tool of collective punishment and helping fund part of the war at the expense of Gaza’s population.
These measures fueled a black market, created monopolies, and sharply driven up prices as high import fees and trade restrictions concentrated commerce in the hands of a few approved traders.
