Growing bread queues in Gaza as Israel restricts fuel, flour imports 

Gaza City, Gaza – Standing in a long queue under the beating sun, 14-year-old Muhammed al-Roubi was waiting to buy bread. But there was a strong chance that, despite his patience, he would not get any.

A flour and fuel shortage in recent weeks, brought on by Israeli restrictions on imports into Gaza, means that bakeries cannot produce as much bread as Palestinians in Gaza need.

Palestinians, the vast majority of them living displaced as a result of Israel’s genocidal war on the territory, are instead forced to wait for hours in queues outside of the few remaining bakeries to get subsidised bread packages.

“My uncle’s family and ours live in the same house, and we share food, so we need a large amount of bread every day,” said al-Roubi, who had come to the bakery with his cousin before separating and joining different queues.

“That is why my cousin and I each stand in a separate line,” he explained. “Some days, we return empty-handed because the bread runs out and there are too many people.”

Shortages

The growing queues at the few remaining distribution points reflect the current decline in production levels, while demand continues to rise, driving increased prices and the growth of a black market.

Ismail al-Thawabta, the head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, said last month that the territory needs about 450 tonnes of flour per day, but that only 200 tonnes were coming in.

Recent shortages stem from Israel’s decision to close the crossings into Gaza on February 28, when Israel launched a joint war with the United States on Iran. The crossings partially reopened after a few days, but traffic through them has been limited.

Israel ultimately decides how much will be let through, despite last year’s “ceasefire” with Hamas stipulating that Israel must significantly ease the restrictions.

According to Israeli media reports, the US-led Board of Peace, tasked with overseeing the administration of Gaza, will not hold Israel accountable for implementing its side of the “ceasefire” unless Hamas agrees to disarm.

More than one-third of Gaza’s population relies on subsidised bread from World Food Programme (WFP)-supplied bakeries, where a bundle, containing about eight or nine pitas, is sold at a capped price of about $1. About 20 percent of bread from WFP-supported bakeries is also handed out for free at meal kitchens.

But the WFP has been forced to reduce flour supplies to bakeries because of Israel’s import restrictions, meaning that many Palestinians who relied on the bakeries have had to look elsewhere.

One of them is 72-year-old Maysar Abu Rekab, a widow who supports three family members with disabilities.

“We used to receive bread through the WFP distribution points, but now it has become very difficult to get it, except by waiting in long lines, and no one in our family is able to stand in them,” she told Al Jazeera.

“There is no home in Gaza that does not depend on bread as a basic food, especially with the shortage of other food items,” she added. “[But] a bread package now costs between 10 and 15 shekels ($3.45 and $5.17), with the average household needing two packages per day. This creates a heavy burden, especially with low incomes and rising flour prices.”

Multiple crises

Gaza is facing multiple crises alongside the bread shortage, including a sharp decrease in cooking gas supplies, which were already limited. The provision of cooking gas, overseen by Gaza’s Ministry of Economy through gas distributors and stations, has slowed from once every six weeks to once every three months due to the limited quantities Israel allows into the enclave.

The price of firewood, an alternative fuel for cooking and baking, has also risen.

The difficulty of baking bread at home means that Palestinians in Gaza are increasingly reliant on bread from bakeries.

Oil prices

Flour shortages are not the only reason bakeries are struggling. Israeli restrictions have also limited the oil needed to lubricate electricity generators. Bakeries and other essential services in Gaza depend on these generators as the territory lacks regular electricity.

Gaza’s one power station previously provided some of its electricity, but it had to shut down in the early days of the war due to a lack of fuel.

“Our work depends on electric generators that need regular oil changes,” said bakery worker Shadi Abu Gharqoud. “Today, the price of 1 litre [34fl oz] of oil has reached about 2,000 shekels ($689). This is a very large amount, especially since we do not need just one litre, but large quantities.”

Bakeries inevitably pass the price increase onto their customers.

Having hardly recovered from the famine last year, Palestinians in Gaza fear that the expansion of the humanitarian crisis could mean a return to the hunger, which only ended with the October “ceasefire”.

“During the last famine, people were dying from hunger and for a piece of bread,” said Maysar. “Did the world not see that? This crisis must be solved before it becomes worse.”