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Gaza food prices plummet as area flooded with aid

Despite report claiming imminent famine, Hamas drops food prices amid surge in goods brought in via humanitarian aid.

By World Israel News Staff

Food prices have fallen dramatically in the Gaza Strip as the flow of aid has surged, an Israeli security official told Yedioth Aharanoth.

On Friday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification organization (IPC) issued a report claiming that famine is “imminent” in the Gaza Strip, with a 1.1 million people – or half the population of the coastal enclave – facing “catastrophic food in security.”

Israel rejected the claim, however, with the IDF’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) releasing a report rebutting the IPC’s claims.

The IPC report, COGAT said, report “contains multiple factual and methodological flaws, such as self attested informational gaps, relying on problematic sources including the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health and excluding important information.”

“In addition, many of the report’s recommendations suggest steps that Israel has already taken in order to facilitate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.”

Aid shipments continue to enter the Gaza Strip via Israeli border crossings and American air drops, with plans for a temporary floating pier on the Gaza coast to facilitate maritive aid transfers.

COGAT released images of trucks carrying aid into the Strip and bread transferred to Gaza, along with detailed statistics on the flow of aid into the coastal enclave, highlighting an increase in the among of aid being brought into Gaza.

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On Sunday, for example, 206 aid trucks carrying 4,040 tons of goods entered the Gaza Strip. The aid included 3,330 tons of food, 160 tons of water, 125 tons of medical supplies, 365 tons of shelter equipment, 60 tons of other goods.

The security official cited in the Yedioth Aharanoth report noted that Hamas has slashed the prices of goods in particular food, in Gaza, in response to the apparent “congestion” of markets following the “influx” of goods.

“Recent online footage shows an influx and congestion in markets.”

“Given Israeli efforts to increase aid channels to Gaza, the price drops can be attributed to the surplus of goods in the markets, especially in the southern Strip.”

The price of flour, for example, was set Monday at 10 shekels per kilo ($1. 24 per pound), down from30 shekels per kilo ($3.70 per pound) before the introduction the new price scale.

“An average family can now buy products for a hearty meal with 100 shekels, compared to 200 shekels required for such a meal just a few days ago,” Gaza merchants were quoted in the report as saying.