The UN World Food Program said that it only has enough food supplies in the Gaza Strip to keep public kitchens and bakeries open for less than two weeks on Wednesday, after Israel halted the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies.
The Israeli blockade initiated over the weekend is aimed at pressuring Hamas to accept an alternative cease-fire arrangement six weeks into their fragile truce.
Israel allowed a surge of humanitarian aid during the first six weeks of the cease-fire. But the World Food Program said Wednesday that its stocks are low because it prioritized delivering food to the population. The UN agency also warned that its fuel stocks would only last for a few weeks.
Palestinians said prices spiked as people rushed to markets to stock up on supplies after Israel announced the tightening of its blockade.
After more than 16 months of war, Gaza’s population is entirely dependent on trucked-in food and other aid. Most are displaced from their homes, and many need shelter.
Since the aid restriction, members of the Hamas-run police force have been deployed in local markets across Gaza, asserting their presence on the ground.
Four sources said they questioned and detained merchants, ordered them not to raise prices during a standoff over a cease-fire deal, and seized supplies that were later resold at lower prices.
Local authorities also urged residents to report misconduct by merchants, saying that food supplies in Gaza would last just two weeks.
“Punishing junior sellers in markets is good, but Hamas must act against the big merchants who control what we eat,” said one witness, asking not to be named for fear of retribution.
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