Israel Reshapes Life in Gaza by Allowing Smartphones and Banning Essential Goods

Following the two years of genocide and starvation that devastated the residents of the Gaza Strip, accompanied by ongoing severe shortages of essential and non-essential goods even after the cease-fire, the Gaza Strip is witnessing a significant influx of smartphones, especially iPhones, prompting many to ask: How is it possible for such luxury items to enter the Strip while basic necessities remain unavailable?

In this report, Misbar tracks the entry of smartphones into the Gaza Strip, shedding light on the true living conditions in Gaza, in contrast with the image Israel seeks to promote in the media.

Markets in Gaza have been flooded with smartphones, particularly iPhones, following suspicious facilitation measures from the Israeli occupation authorities. However, Israel has been banning the entry of various essential medicines, medical supplies, food items, tents, and caravans that residents have needed since the war began in October 2023.

Scenes showing large quantities of smartphones have been emerging on social media platforms, despite the absence of any official statistics documenting how many have entered the Strip.

Among the scenes that gained wide traction on social media was one featuring a Palestinian merchant from Gaza, Amjad Marwan, promoting a gold-plated, diamond-studded iPhone 17.

Pro-Israeli accounts on social media exploited the video to claim that life in Gaza is returning to normal and that residents are enjoying high levels of luxury—using the gold-plated iPhone 17 as “proof.”

The merchant who brought in the gold-plated iPhone wrote on his Facebook page: “Regarding the gold-plated iPhone, everyone knows I’ve been in the mobile phone trade for 20 years. Based on the buyer’s request, this device entered Gaza through me. It is well known that the people of Gaza are dignified and generous, and they love life and comfort — whether in food or clothing from top global brands.”

Misbar Tracks iPhone 17 Entry into Gaza

Misbar’s correspondent tracked how smartphones, including the gold-plated iPhone, entered the Strip, revealing that merchants bring them through the crossings connecting Gaza with Israel without any Israeli restrictions.

Smartphone trader A.H. told Misbar’s correspondent that he smuggled phones into Gaza inside humanitarian aid shipments during the war. However, Israeli authorities began allowing them in freely, without any restrictions, around 20 days ago.

He added, “Phones enter Gaza very easily, with no conditions or even customs or fees. Bringing in any type of iPhone is easier than bringing in chicken or other types of meat for residents—or even many other food items.”

The trader further explained that smartphones enter the Gaza Strip in large trucks, but he does not know the reason behind the extensive Israeli facilitation allowing expensive smartphones.

As for gold-plated iPhones, the trader explained that they can easily enter the Gaza Strip among other devices that are allowed to be imported via the Karem Shalom crossing in the east of Rafah in southern Gaza, which Israel fully controls.

“Right now, any merchant can bring in any smartphone from any international brand without restrictions or high fees.”

Gaza Faces Deliberate Starvation Amid Israeli Restrictions

The paradox is that while Israeli authorities facilitate the entry of the latest smartphones into the Gaza Strip, they simultaneously ban 350 essential goods for residents, who, according to U.N. reports, face unprecedented levels of starvation.

Gaza’s Government Media Office and UNRWA confirm that the main items Israel bans include tents, essential food items, and medical supplies, while it allows the entry of low-nutritional-value goods.

Based on field monitoring of Gaza markets, Misbar’s correspondent reported that Israel bans the entry of eggs, red and white meat, fish, cheese, dairy products, nutritional supplements, and dozens of items needed by pregnant women, patients, and people with weak immunity.

In contrast, Israel allows the entry of items with no nutritional value, such as soda, chocolate, processed foods, and chips, which are sold at over 15 times their real price due to Israel’s control over supply chains.

The Government Media Office in Gaza says this policy reveals Israel’s use of starvation engineering, manipulating food security, and directly threatening civilian lives.

A food products merchant, M.A., says Israel imposes extremely high customs on the allowed non-essential food items.

“We’re allowed to bring in canned goods, luxury chocolate, chips, and soda — but with high fees. These items are then sold at multiple times their real price,” M.A. told Misbar.

He further explained that he and hundreds of other traders are trying to bring in essentials such as fresh meat, poultry, eggs, and cheese, but all of their requests are rejected by Israel, which decides what goods enter Gaza.

Gaza Struggles with Medicine Stocks and Shortages

In addition to blocking nutrition items and winter supplies from entering the Gaza Strip, Israel imposes strict restrictions on the entry of many life-saving medicines.

Ibrahim Abbas, director of the Medical Imaging Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, says Gaza’s patients and wounded are deprived of diagnostic imaging services such as CT scans and MRI due to deliberate destruction during the assault.

Abbas told Misbar in a written statement that four MRI machines, four CT scanners, 16 fixed X-ray devices, 17 mobile X-ray devices, 20 ultrasound machines, and various surgical imaging devices were all destroyed by Israeli forces.

He explained that this situation adds a challenge for medical staff, as it deprives patients of the imaging services those machines provide.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza confirms that ophthalmology medicine stocks are extremely limited and insufficient for emergency needs. The shortage of specialized eye medicines has worsened both acute and chronic patient suffering.

The Ministry notes that “4,000 patients with glaucoma are at risk of losing their eyesight due to lack of treatment and limited surgical capacity.”

It also reports that 37 percent of medicines and 59 percent of medical supplies are completely depleted. Intensive care and emergency department medicines have been exhausted to unprecedented levels as the genocide continues.

It says vital hospital departments are operating on generators that are at risk of shutting down due to fuel and spare-parts shortages, with many already destroyed.

The Ministry warns that restrictions on food supplies threaten more than two million people with malnutrition and anemia — especially children. It calls for pressure on Israel to allow diagnostic equipment and specialized eye medicines into Gaza.

It confirms the humanitarian and health situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels due to extreme shortages, the tightening of crossing closures, and Israel’s prevention of medical and food supplies from entering.

Food Insecurity in Gaza Worsens Amid Blockade

A paper published by the International Commission to Support the Palestinian People (ICSPR/HACD) on Wednesday, November 26, states that Gaza is experiencing one of the world’s most severe food crises.

The paper, prepared by researcher Mohammad Saleem, says the Israeli war and its accompanying blockade and ban on essential goods have destroyed agricultural infrastructure and livelihoods, creating conditions of enforced starvation that threaten the lives of more than two million civilians, mostly women and children.

The paper concludes that the current crisis in Gaza is “no longer solely a byproduct of warfare but reflects a systematic pattern of using starvation as a weapon, through targeting farmland, production sites, food crops, supply chains, and storage facilities.” It states that this constitutes a full war crime under international law.

According to the paper, field indicators show the extent of the catastrophe: food insecurity has risen above 90 percent, more than 95 percent of households rely on aid, and prices of essential goods have risen more than fourfold.

Rates of malnutrition among women and children have reached dangerous levels, threatening public health and leading to chronic diseases and long-term developmental impacts.

The paper notes that starving civilians or depriving them of basic necessities is a war crime under the Rome Statute and international protocols.

It lists the main challenges facing food security today: “continued blockade and bans on essential goods, widespread destruction of agricultural infrastructure, soil contamination from war remnants, water and energy shortages, disrupted production and storage chains, market collapse, declining international funding, and the absence of a national plan for food reconstruction.”

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