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Smuggling in Gaza: How banned goods make it across the border and millions of dollars change hands
Smuggling rings and middlemen move banned goods into Gaza, with traders and officials saying bribes and government cuts can reach 80% of value.
- An Associated Press investigation reveals smuggling networks profiting from Israeli restrictions on Gaza, with traders, drivers, and soldiers accused of pocketing millions of dollars as illicit goods enter the territory.
- Israel tightly controls entry into the Gaza Strip, classifying 150 categories of items as 'dual use,' which pushes merchants toward smuggling networks to meet demand.
- Residents face exorbitant prices, with vehicle batteries costing more than $2,300, while traders use 'coordinators'—Israeli and Palestinian middlemen—to arrange routes and pay bribes to soldiers for transport.
- The Hamas-led government collects up to 80% of the price of unreported smuggled goods, though official Ismail al-Thawabta stated funds are directed to public services, not military operations.
- Israeli authorities have indicted more than a dozen people, including reserve soldiers, for operating smuggling rings since late 2025, while the military stated it takes smuggling 'very seriously and works to prevent it.
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15 Articles
15 Articles
Associated Press News+14 Reposted by 14 other sources
AP investigation shows how banned goods are smuggled into Gaza and millions of dollars change hands
The smuggling of goods restricted by Israel into Gaza has boomed. Items from cigarettes and iPhones to fuel and solar panels make their way to the territory devastated by war.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left10Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Left
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
67% Left
L 67%
C 33%
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