Gaza returns to the era of bartering

In a scene reminiscent of pre-modern times, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have resorted to bartering and debt ledgers for daily transactions, replacing paper currency, which has become extremely scarce throughout the territory.

The shortage of cash in Gaza has led to economic stagnation and a sharp decline in the purchasing power of its residents. One vendor, speaking in a report on Al Jazeera Mubasher, said that before the war, life was manageable despite low incomes, as salaries and social welfare payments provided a minimum level of stability.

Today, however, the situation has completely reversed. Prices have skyrocketed, unemployment rates have worsened, and many families have lost their livelihoods and now rely on zakat (Islamic alms),charity, or aid codes to make ends meet.

The vendor added that people’s inability to repay their debts is not due to malicious intent or fraud, but rather to the lack of cash and the dire circumstances that have left them without any means of support. The available banknotes (shekels) are damaged or old and are not accepted by banks, which in turn refuse to receive funds from merchants due to strict federal and banking regulations.

Faced with this crippling shortage of banknotes, citizens and vendors have found themselves forced to substitute goods for other commodities, such as replacing cooking oil with flour or vegetables to ensure they can provide a meal for their children.

For their part, stall and shop owners confirm that credit books have become the only remaining lifeline for families to survive, as debt now constitutes more than half of their daily sales.

Although this system burdens small vendors and threatens their businesses with collapse due to their inability to replenish their stock, the sense of social and humanitarian solidarity compels them to continue and to consider the circumstances of