Gaza Residents Sell Marriage Rings To Buy Food: Only Get Flour, Bombing And Rice Onions

Refugees in Gaza queue for food. (Source: UNRWA/Ashraf Amra)

JAKARTA - The war between Hamas and Israel, which has entered its 127th day, has made it difficult for residents to meet their daily needs, even selling gold is not enough to just buy food to survive.

Since the war broke out on October 7, 2023, the death toll of Palestinians in the Palestinian enclave has reached 27,947 and 67,459 others injured, citing Al Jazeera on February 10.

Saeed Hamoda visited the Abu Harb jewelry store in Rafah City, trying to bargaining for the price of the gold ring he wanted to sell, to buy food and clothes for his family.

The resident of Beit Lahya in the north of the Gaza Strip was forced to flee south due to war, leaving him without income for the past four months. After his savings were sold out, the father of two was forced to sell his wife's gold, including the wedding ring, to survive.

"We live in suffering. We can't imagine that we will face such a day," Hamoda told The National News, as quoted on February 9.

"It is not easy for my wife to give me her jewelry because it is very valuable to her, but we want to feed our children," he said.

Because the prices of basic commodities are very expensive, the money that Hamoda earns from selling gold is not enough to feed his family for a week.

"Everything is very expensive, even the price of this ring only allows me to buy 3kg of flour, 1kg of onions, and 1kg of rice," he explained.

Meanwhile, Abu Nidal Abu Harb, a gold trader at the shop, admitted that he regularly bought precious metals from Gazans.

"People come to sell their gold, leave their homes from north to south," Abu Harb told The National.

"The assistance received by refugees is insufficient. This forces them to sell their jewelry," he explained.

Meanwhile, Hamdan Kishta, a trader at another jewelry store in Rafah City, said Gazans came to his shop to sell gold, but very few came to buy it.

"We try to help the community by giving them a good price and buying gold from them," explained Kishta.

"I see how sad people are selling their jewelry," he continued.

It is known that Gazans used the money they raised to buy a tent or rent a house, because their savings were running out.

Outside the trapped enclave, the price of gold remains high. But in Gaza, the price of gold fell due to cash shortages, Kishta said.

Before the war began in October, one gram of 24 carat gold was sold in Gaza for around 45 US dollars, but has now dropped to around 30 US dollars.

Separately, Fadel Adwan, of the Chamber of Commerce in Gaza and founder of the Golden Union in the Gaza Strip, said the economic situation in Gaza was very concerning.

"People sell their wedding rings, which for them are valueless. However, of course feeding their children is more important," he explained.

"We hope that the number of aids will increase so that people can survive and are not forced to sell their gold," he added.