*The Economic Mafia in Gaza: Import Monopoly Deepens the Humanitarian Tragedy and Threatens Israel’s Own Security*
By Palestinian leader Samer Sinjlawi
While the world was preoccupied with the war raging in Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe its inhabitants were enduring, another system, less visible but no less dangerous, was operating behind the scenes and deserves serious scrutiny and a thorough investigation. Since the beginning of the war, the Israeli military and security authorities, according to numerous merchants inside Gaza, have relied on an exclusive list of only thirteen individuals authorized to import commercial goods into the Strip. Although some names have changed over time, the essence of the system remains the same: a monopoly on imports by a small group, excluding hundreds of genuine merchants who have formed the backbone of the Gazan economy for decades.
The last list approved by Israel, in October 2025, included Mustafa Eid, Muhammad al-Khazendar, Muhammad al-Barqi, Riyad Daoud, Muhammad Dardasawi, Muhannad Abu Haloub, Sameh Othman, Raed Abu Marai, Ayada al-Rifi, Muhammad al-Khudari, Bakr Abu Halima, Suhail Abu Halima, and Mahmoud Abu Marai. The problem isn’t with the individuals themselves, but with the system that granted them this monopoly.
According to numerous testimonies from merchants in Gaza, these individuals don’t act as genuine importers, but rather as intermediaries between the actual merchants and the Israeli authorities. Any merchant wishing to import goods is now forced to go through one of these intermediaries. Several merchants confirm that the commissions these intermediaries receive range from 150,000 to 400,000 shekels per truck, depending on the type of goods. If these figures are accurate, each of them could be earning up to one million shekels daily for monopolizing the right to coordinate and import.
The effects of this system extend far beyond generating enormous profits. Every additional commission borne by the merchant is ultimately passed on to the Palestinian citizen in Gaza. Prices of food, medicine, building materials, fuel, and other basic commodities are rising, at a time when the residents of the Strip are living through one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinian businessmen with extensive experience and broad commercial networks have been sidelined, replaced by a system whose primary criterion appears to be exclusive privilege, not competence, experience, or competition. Economic monopolies, by their very nature, create a black market. When the ability to import becomes tied to exclusive permits rather than clear and transparent regulations, favoritism, corruption, and informal financial networks flourish. In the context of war, an exceptional economy emerges, in which a select few amass enormous wealth while the entire society pays the price. Numerous experiences in the region have demonstrated that such monopolies, which arise during wartime, do not remain merely economic phenomena but, over time, transform into centers of political and security influence that are difficult to dismantle.
This should concern Israelis as much as it concerns Palestinians. Israel consistently declares that its strategic objective is to weaken extremist organizations, promote stability, and create the conditions for a different reality in Gaza. But creating a closed economic system that concentrates enormous wealth in the hands of a limited number of people can have the exact opposite effect. Instead of empowering a genuine Palestinian private sector, it weakens it. Instead of encouraging transparency, it rewards exclusive privileges. And instead of laying the groundwork for Gaza’s post-war reconstruction, it creates a new class of beneficiaries whose interests may become tied to the continuation of the monopoly and the perpetuation of chaos.
This raises a number of legitimate questions: Why does this monopolistic system persist today? What objective criteria are used toselect those permitted to import? Why have most of the well-known major traders in Gaza been excluded? Who is monitoring the enormous sums generated by these commissions? Have Israeli regulatory bodies examined whether this system truly serves Israel’s long-term security interests? And has there been an investigation into whether there are suspicions of financial corruption extending beyond the circle of beneficiary traders themselves? These are not accusations, but questions that deserve transparent answers.
For decades, the Israeli media has proven itself among the most courageous in exposing corruption and holding those in power accountable, thereby contributing to the strengthening of Israeli democracy. This issue deserves the same level of investigation. Therefore, I call upon Israeli investigative media outlets to launch an independent and comprehensive inquiry into the import permit system for Gaza. This investigation should determine how approved importers were selected, what oversight mechanisms were in
place, whether the public interest was truly protected, and whether anyone, within or outside the commercial sector, profited financially from this system. If this investigation uncovers structural failures, monopolistic practices, or suspected financial corruption, addressing them will not only benefit the Palestinians but also serve Israeli national security. A stable Gaza cannot be built on an economy based on monopolies, cronyism, and the enrichment resulting from wartime conditions. Sustainable security can only be achieved through transparency, accountability, effective institutions, competitive markets, and the rule of law.
Ignoring the economic dimension of the crisis in Gaza today may be creating the security threats that Israel will face tomorrow.
التاريخ 5-7-2026
