Hundreds of trucks enter Gaza daily now. Some carry aid from international organizations. Others bring donations from foreign governments. But relief workers say most of what is going in appears to be commercial goods bound for markets.
While there is no question that aid flows have increased since the cease-fire began two weeks ago, many residents say they cannot afford to buy the food that is for sale.
“Most of the trucks are of a commercial nature, and after two years of this war, most Gazans are unable to purchase items from the markets,” said Bahaa Zaqout, a spokesman for the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee. “The prices of the items that are entering are very expensive.”
Gaza resident Rami Abu Moleg, 45, said his family had eaten chicken for the first time in eight months on Friday, but only because his brother-in-law had paid for it. The price of chicken has dropped dramatically since the cease-fire, from about $33 per pound to about $12, he added.
“This is still expensive for me, but at least it went down,” said Mr. Abu Moleg, who drove a taxi before the war. “Everything in the market entered Gaza for the traders. It was not aid.”
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