In Gaza City's central market, Rania al-Saudi stands with her two young daughters at a toy stall, bewildered by the unusually high prices ahead of the Eid holiday. She had promised her daughters two dolls to celebrate Eid, but exorbitant toy prices mean she simply cannot afford them. Her six-year-old daughter Razan did not understand her mother's worried expression as Rania asked the vendor for the price of each toy. With every quote, she gasped, “Oh my God, it’s so expensive… this used to be much cheaper.”
Faced with her daughter's insistence, Rania pleaded with the vendor to lower the prices, but he apologized, saying he could not because obtaining toys to sell was incredibly difficult due to Israeli restrictions on importing goods into Gaza. Rania was not alone: other parents and children also came to the stall to inquire about toys, but none made a purchase. In the current war-driven economic crisis, prices are simply unaffordable for ordinary people.
The 43-year-old Rania, originally from eastern Gaza, has been displaced by the war to the west of the city. She told Al Jazeera she came looking for toys in an attempt to put smiles on her daughters' faces before the holiday, but her wish was not fulfilled. “The prices are extremely high, and the vendors tell us that toys have not entered Gaza since the start of the war. But what did our children do to deserve this?” she said. She recalled the many toys her daughters had in their home before it was destroyed and how she used to ensure they had toys for every occasion and holiday.
Toy sellers say they are not to blame for the high prices. Anwar al-Huwaity, who has been in the business for 20 years, told Al Jazeera his stall is still operating despite Israel's devastation of Gaza, but business has become extremely difficult. He explained that before the war, toys were widely available, but now they have to go from one trader to another searching. Sometimes they find toys with someone who had them stored, but they sell at a very high price—up to three times the normal rate. Most toys that now reach Gaza do not enter through official crossings but in limited quantities via unofficial routes, making them very hard to obtain.
The cost of bringing toys into Gaza has become extremely high. Anwar said some middlemen demand up to 12,000 shekels ($3,870) for a small shipment, and if it is confiscated or destroyed, the loss falls entirely on the trader. “We buy merchandise at high prices, so we have to sell it at high prices as well,” he apologized. He noted that toys are now up to 300 percent more expensive compared to pre-war prices. The holiday season, which used to generate income between $6,500 and $10,000, now, he said, brings in luckily $1,000—and most of that is bulk sales to other traders, not regular customers.
Anwar shared that the hardest part of his job is seeing children ask for toys their parents cannot afford. “Many parents can’t buy toys due to the economic situation. People are barely able to secure food,” he said. His work has gone from providing children joy to witnessing their disappointment. “I have started hating my workday because I know the prices are exorbitant, and when the children and families see the toys, they get upset, especially during the holidays,” he added.
Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October 2023, trade has been heavily restricted due to the closure of commercial crossings by Israel, especially Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom), the main entry point for goods into Gaza from Israel. Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza in 2023 and repeated it for several months in 2025, leading to the declaration of a famine in northern Gaza. Conditions have improved since a “ceasefire” was declared in October, but Israel is continuing regular strikes and continues to heavily restrict the entry of non-essential commercial goods, including toys and recreational materials. Although no official law or declaration explicitly bans toys from entering Gaza, administrative and security restrictions, combined with the prioritization of humanitarian goods, have effectively made the entry of these items almost impossible. The United Nations has noted that restrictions on commercial goods, including toys, have affected the availability of both essential and non-essential goods in Gaza.
Near Anwar's toy stall is another run by Ahmed Ziara. The 24-year-old has been selling toys for several years, but the war has forced him to periodically stop trading. He explained that before the war, he worked in major toy exhibitions, but now toys rarely enter, and they often have to smuggle them, sometimes hidden inside clothes or other goods. He confirmed that most of the toys he acquires are old stock already in Gaza, sold at high prices due to scarcity. He mentioned that popular Eid holiday toys, once inexpensive, now cost triple or even quadruple their previous prices: a small toy car that sold for 40 shekels ($13) last year now costs 150 shekels ($48), a small ball that once cost 3 shekels ($1) is now 30 shekels ($10), building blocks are nearly unavailable, and dolls cost more than 70 shekels ($22.50). “Buying from traders is hard, and selling is hard due to the economic situation,” Ahmed told Al Jazeera. “Sometimes I have to sell below the expected price just to clear stock, but most of the time we must raise prices due to high costs and difficulty obtaining toys.” He added that if conditions improve and toys are allowed in normally, prices will return to normal, and children and families will be able to enjoy the holiday as before.
Source: www.aljazeera.com