- Smuggling into Gaza has surged, bringing everything from cigarettes and iPhones to fuel and medical supplies through a wide network of middlemen on both sides.
- Shortages and this illicit trade have driven everyday prices through the roof — batteries, solar panels and even cigarette packs now cost many times their prewar price.
- The trade is lucrative and murky: alleged bribes and involvement by soldiers, a cut taken by Gaza’s authorities, and a shadowy coordinator known as “Abu Bassel” are all part of the story.
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