Most people think that Gaza is a place of utter desolation, with humanitarian aid being withheld by the cruel Israelis, a place of unspeakable deprivation. It’s not true. Huge amounts of humanitarian aid is now flowing into Gaza, some 1400 truckloads every week at present, thanks to the help of the IDF. But once those trucks are inside Gaza, Hamas operatives take control and direct the trucks to their own warehouses, where they unload much of that aid, some of which remains to be distributed to Hamas members for their extended families, and the rest is kept for resale, at extravagant prices, to the Gazan civilians who were supposed to receive that humanitarian aid for free. Since the war in Gaza began, Hamas has taken in $500 million from the sale of such aid. The humanitarian aid, or some of it, does get through, but Hamas makes the Gazans pay.
And it is amazing what other goods are on sale in Gaza, at prices that are exceedingly low. More on what a French journalist saw in the markets in Gaza can be found here: “Going too easy on Gaza: Israeli right rage after PS5 sells for NIS 700 in Gaza,” Jerusalem Post, September
Despite persistent claims of goods shortages and price rises in Gaza, the prices of some goods have been astoundingly low, including that of a PlayStation 5 (PS5), according to video obtained by French journalist Jonathan Serero on Sunday.
The video shows the PS5 game console, fresh fruits, soaps, perfumes, sweets, snacks, soft drinks, and more in the market in the center of Gaza.
The same resident was heard saying, “In Gaza, during the war, you can get everything at the stalls.” The resident enthusiastically said that the console cost him only 700 shekels; the current retail price on the Sony website is $499.99.
The video caused shock and anger among several prominent right-wing Israeli commentators, with many calling this proof that Netanyahu was going too easy on Gaza….
Does that sound like the Gaza that journalists have been describing to the world? Would you have imagined from reports in the BBC, CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and of course Al Jazeera, that shelves in Gaza stores, and in stalls outside, were groaning with every sort of merchandise? Of course not. It’s amazing that this French journalist managed to film — secretly — what was on sale in the market in the middle of Gaza.
Not only are Gazans, in their “open-air concentration camp,” able to buy “fresh fruits, soaps, perfumes, sweets, snacks, soft drinks and more” in the markets, but they can buy the latest Sony Playstation 5 for less than a third of what Americans pay for the same item.
Allowing in humanitarian aid — food staples and medicine — is one thing, but that Gazan resident boasting you can get “everything at the market stalls” in Gaza and providing the ocular proof to the French journalist Jonathan Serero is quite another. Members of the Israeli right did not expect that in Gaza those stalls would be groaning under the weight of “fresh fruits, soaps, perfumes, sweets, snacks, soft drinks,” nor did they expect that Gazans would have available, and at a huge discount, the latest in Sony Playstations. They are angry that Netanyahu has not clamped down on imports other than humanitarian aid. That French journalist’s video should make one rethink all the tearjerker stories about Gaza being an “open-air concentration camp.” But because you visit Jihad Watch, and therefore are well-informed, you never believed that nonsense, did you?
Patrick White says
“… with humanitarian aid being withheld by the cruel Israelis, a place of unspeakable deprivation. It’s not true.”
Well this is a tremendous pity, then. If the Israelis do not remove Muslims from the Holy Land NOW, after such devastating provocation last year, they are doomed to have generations of Jews being terrorised by these monsters for countless years to come.
I stand with Israel.
Richard James says
Yesterday I read an article that said they were swamped with aid.
gravenimage says
Is Gaza an ‘Open Air Concentration Camp’?
………………………………………………………
Yes, these claims are just absurd. Good debunking b Hugh Fitzgerald.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
How can one have a concentration camp if it is open air?
somehistory says
Good question.
And “concentration” is when something is all together, while the gazans can move about freely. They are even advised by Israel to do so when a military strike is coming their way.
OLD GUY says
Most of these poor muslims in Gaza support Hamas and the war against Israel. All this foreign aid, hundreds of millions of dollars is doing nothing but extending the fight by Hamas. Without these funds Hamas couldn’t purchase the rockets and arms to continue the fight. It used to be considered TREASON to aid the enemy and thats exactly what we are doing.