Despite the beautiful images of social and religious solidarity in Gaza, some in the Strip insist on deviating from the norm and on looking out for their own interests by exploiting the basic needs of the people, in the absence of government [institutions], due to the severity of the war.
Gaza – In the Gaza Strip some people have put their Palestinian patriotism aside to profit from the misery of their compatriots. They could not care less that more and more people are dying as long as they are filling their pockets, even if it is at the expense of distressed refugees who are left with no choice but to sleep inside schools and churches, after mosques and hospitals turned out to be unsafe sanctuaries.
Whether the number of these opportunists is small or large, the images of solidarity among the people of Gaza, its factions, and even its religious sects are the ones prevailing in the Strip. This, however, does not prevent us from shedding light on some “war merchants,” who are showing no value for the sacrifices of the people around them, until they are hit by a tragedy themselves. It is only then that they would feel some of the pain.
There is nothing worse than being exploited by the merchants and businessmen who can meet people’s basic needs, but instead raise the prices of real estate and basic goods in light of the large demand.
Such opportunism was striking in Khan Younes, in southern Gaza. After the town of Khaza’a, located east of the district, faced days of heavy artillery fire, survivors had to flee the town and headed west. Merchants there salivated over the opportunity to make financial profits from the waves of the displaced, unconcerned with the fact that most of these people were not carrying any money on them when they miraculously fled their homes, while those who had some money had trouble accessing it because all banks were closed.
This state of exploitation broke the spirits of many displaced citizens, and erected psychological barriers between them and the merchants of war. Many had planned to rent new apartments, but they were shocked to find out that the “lords” refused to give out their places for the usual rental prices inside the cities, which is 500 shekels ($140).
One of those displaced people is Ahmed Qodeh. This young man had to go on an agonizing journey to find an apartment to shelter his large family, but his efforts were fruitless and only led to more dispersion and displacement, as members of his family had to take refuge in the houses of relatives and in schools.
“I don’t know the goal behind all this ugly exploitation, where should we go with our families after the rent reached 1,500 shekels ($420)?” Qodeh asked resentfully.
Speaking to Al-Akhbar, he added “we can hardly get any news from the folks who are still in the town, that is why we are always preoccupied and we do not have the luxury to complain about those who seek to fill their pockets off our pain.”
This exploitation is by no means restricted to the real estate market, but has spilled over into other basic commodities. Merchants are even attempting to profit off water, and have increased its price after the municipality water was cut off in the district. For example, the price of a 1,000 liter water tank jumped from 17 shekels to about 50 (from $5 to $14), with the price of a small bottle of water tripling.
Fadi Abu Rjeileh, a displaced citizen, said they were forced to purchase from merchants due to the miserable situation in UNRWA schools.
“The bread crumbs offered by the UNRWA do not meet the needs of families and we are forced to buy from stores, even though the prices have tripled compared to the past,” Abu Rjeileh told Al-Akhbar, explaining that “even transportation fares have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels.”
Although we cannot overlook the fact that some of the price hikes that have affected certain commodities and services are a result of the crippling siege imposed on Gaza – that only intensified during the now three-week-old war – some merchants are hiding their goods on purpose and raising prices in a direct and obvious exploitation of the situation.
Abu Rjeileh tried to stand up against these practices and complained to the concerned authorities, but the police did not respond to his calls. “Can’t you see the situation we’re in? Take care of it yourself,” the police told him, which made him pray to God that he does not have any children “as long as we are in this demoralized state.”
In Gaza City, the situation is not very different from other districts. With residents from the east heading to the town’s center, the war merchants denied displaced people the chance to live in apartments as they increased rent to $500, making such places only affordable to well-off citizens and some foreign journalists.
The Ayad family from the Mansura neighborhood in Shujayeh had a bitter experience as they tried to rent an apartment after the occupation forces destroyed two of the family’s houses with an F16 missile and artillery shelling. All 98 family members had to move to the house of their daughter Sabrine in the city.
“We are stacked on top of each other and sleep on the apartment’s floor. There are not enough blankets for everyone… there are so many of us now in my 150 meters flat,” Sabrine Ayad told Al-Akhbar.
“My family tried to reduce the number of people and rent outside but one building owner requested $600 for a very small apartment for just 15 days,” she said with a tired voice.
Meanwhile, some landlords are claiming to be afraid of renting out their houses to people whose homes were shelled for fear there may be ‘wanted’ individuals among them, which could lead to getting their own apartments targeted.
Furthermore, money transfers are also being exploited with the dollar rising to 3 shekels, instead of 3.5, due to a lack of money exchange offices.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Economy Ministry assured that its consumer protection teams have been working across the Strip’s districts since the first day of the aggression.
“We are implementing an emergency plan that was set before the war, [whereby] inspection teams are assigned in five subsidiary offices to monitor the prices and safety of foodstuffs and to prevent monopolization in these tough times,” Abdel Fattah Moussa, the ministry’s spokesman told Al-Akhbar.
Concerning citizens’ complaints, Abu Moussa explained “our numbers are open 24/7 and we quickly verify all complaints and refer them to the legal department for the prosecution to take necessary procedures.”
Abu Mussa, however, said that monitoring real estate falls within the mandate of “the finance and housing ministries in the first place,” but the war is blocking the movement of many employees, something that many displaced people have also pointed out.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
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