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Rising Prices in Gaza and Armed Factions Looting Aid: Civilians Pay the Price
Despite the daily influx of food and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip—and despite reports indicating that warehouses are stocked with essential goods—prices of basic food items are witnessing unprecedented increases, exacerbating the suffering of residents who have endured harsh conditions for months.
Behind this stark contradiction between the abundance of aid and rising prices lies a deeper and more painful crisis: certain armed factions are seizing this aid and distributing it according to their own interests, ensuring their survival and control at the expense of the besieged civilians' needs. These factions, which are supposedly meant to represent the people and defend their rights, have instead engaged in a form of internal extortion, controlling the flow of food and aid and granting it to those they deem loyal or subordinate.
Reports are increasingly confirming widespread theft and misdistribution of aid, amid a lack of effective monitoring mechanisms and clear accountability for those in power. As a result, hundreds of thousands of residents suffer from hunger, while aid goes to those who do not need it—or is sold at inflated prices on the black market. This reflects a deep moral collapse among those leading the political and military scene in Gaza.
What is unfolding is not only a humanitarian crisis but also a moral scandal. Instead of being used to alleviate suffering, aid has become a tool for dominance and corruption. While this organized looting continues, the voices of the poor and needy remain muffled, amid international silence and internal incapacity to impose justice or provide the most basic conditions for a dignified life. Gaza today needs more than just food—it needs a living conscience and genuine responsibility that places human life above all else.
