Following Israel’s aggressive actions, Hamas has been forced to ap retreat, consequently leaving almost two million inhabitants of Gaza dealing with rampant disorder that’s steadily eroding social trust. From Deir al-Balah to Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, reporter Bilal Shbair documented scenes of theft and shared stories of citizens who had been victimized. During a visit to one such market where pilfered children’s shoes to damaged plumbing equipment were sold, Mahmoud al-Jabri experienced an unexpected; his personal collection of books was also among the items being sold. It was an intimate shock to discover his first book of poems, an artifact layered with his annotations, on sale for a meagre 5 shekels (approximately $1). Even treasured keepsakes such as poetry anthologies are not exempt from becoming commodities for opportunistic pilferers thriving in Gaza’s environment.
The ruins of cities decimated following Israel’s full-scale attack on Gaza, instigated in response to the strikes led by Hamas on October 7, are witnessing growing disorder. Black markets, or ‘thieves’ markets’ as they are commonly known by natives, are cropping up all over Gaza. Here, the spoils from homes, corporations and even medical facilities, plundered as a reaction to the chaos, are on sale. The blockage by Israel of most goods entering Gaza has elevated the significance of these gray markets, transforming them into key resource points for domestic necessities. Consequently, visits to these markets are now becoming a routine part of the lives of Gazans who are desperately trying to salvage fragments of their normal lives. People have even discovered items they weren’t aware had been stolen until they spotted them in the market.
In Khan Younis, a city located in southern Gaza, sellers operate in spaces that were made uncontrollable by Israeli bombardments. They vend stolen hospital materials and clothing alongside fresh produce on the main dais, serving a city trying to restore normalcy amid pandemonium. Adjacent to this, in Deir al-Balah’s central Gaza, another hub for the trade of purloined goods is situated next to the habitual street market. This market used to be a bustling, aromatic hub filled with vendors barking out to potential customers, but the Israeli blockade’s stranglehold has reduced this once lively market to merely a strip that manages to exist.
As traditional commerce dwindles, it has been replaced by markets of fenced items which keep busy with tense, apprehensive individuals browsing through heaps of appropriated items. Customers and merchants alike are awash with suspicion, each transaction cloaked in paranoid gazes and hushed conversations. Some unfortunate families have found themselves having to repurchase their own belongings at outrageous prices from vendors who innocently claim to be oblivious about the origins of the items. These frequent incidents often conclude in heated disputes, sometimes even escalating to involve firearms and physical confrontations.
The pervasive disorder is palpable across Gaza. Destitution-driven individuals increasingly turn to minor thievery. With prisons unattended and jailers absent, convicted criminals wander the streets unfettered. Organized criminal factions exploit this climate of fear, stripping buildings such as hospitals and universities bare, or ambushing any trucks that manage to deliver food and supplies. Prior to the war, Gaza’s streets would have been patrolled by police affiliated with Hamas, who maintained some semblance of order. However, they have been targeted and removed in Israel’s bid to ‘dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities’.
Israel’s ongoing conflict has essentially birthed a power vacuum within Gaza. However, due to the absence of an alternative control structure, Hamas has managed to regroup in certain areas and reclaim power as a military entity. In several southern areas of Gaza, some officials of Hamas have also attempted to regain control by deploying members to supervise and regulate market prices. Despite this, locals have accused Hamas itself of exploiting the ongoing disorder, harboring beliefs that some of its fighters could be in cahoots with the armed gangs offering protection services for stored goods.
The societal faith within the community has eroded significantly as locals exchange tales of deceitful business partners and sly thieves who masquerade as rescue workers amid airstrike chaos. These individuals seize everything from precious jewelry to mundane kitchen tools during the operations to extricate people from debris. As civilians hastily evacuate in line with Israeli directives, their vacant homes fall prey to burglars who hastily strip them of any valuable or useful items they find. Anas Al-Tawashy, a 32-year-old, shared his experience of visiting the black market in Deir al-Balah when his house was burglarized for the third time.
Anas hoped to find mundane items such as his niece’s sleeping clothes or the pots and pans his spouse would use – householdware that has been rendered scarce due to incessant bombings, prevalent displacement, and the stringent Israeli naval blockade. However, what he desperately yearned to find was the gaming console and titles that he and his twin – currently residing in Canada – spent countless hours playing during their youth. ‘Those were my childhood treasures,’ he lamented, after days of hectic, unsuccessful searching.
Amidst all the chaos, even basic amenities like toilets haven’t been exempted from these thefts. So frequent are these incidents that returning families, or those relocating to areas where the conflict has subsided, find themselves needing to purchase secondhand toilets for their homes. The illicit acquisition and sale of toilets have inadvertently created a booming demand, allowing thieves to sell them for roughly $100, three times their original rate.
Fearing the shadowy visitors, Salah Al-Qedra, a resident of Khan Younis, attempted to outsmart potential burglars by clearing out his own house, including the toilets, prior to an ordered evacuation. While his family sought refuge with nearby relatives, Salah decided to take on the perilous task of securing his home. In a particularly striking incident, Salah recalled the dismay he and his cohorts felt as they could only stand by, watching a band of armed thieves pillage the European Hospital.
The leggy and audacious thefts staged against hospitals are viewed with particular disdain because these facilities are amongst the few that remain functional to attend to the steady stream of casualties. The stealing from these institutions further undermines the work they do for the community and the displaced for prolonged periods. ‘What if a thief got injured? How will he get treatment?’ Salah asked, expressing his frustration at the hospital’s desecration. Despite the crime taking place in broad daylight and being recorded by numerous spectators, the thieves assertively absconded with looted items such as beds, stretchers, and IV machines.
Last month, a bizarre incident was reported where a man in Khan Younis rallied a crowd towards a lorry full of tents. Given the high displacement rates, the value of tents had risen dramatically. Heeding the call, people scrambled to block the lorry’s path, brandishing makeshift weapons. Despite the resistance, the truck sped up, its armed protectors firing off rounds, leaving behind a trail of dust and disillusioned locals. Nonetheless, savvy thieves have been seen capitalizing on the mayhem and finding multiple ways to transform stolen items into profit.
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the poet Mahmoud Al-Jabri discovered the grim fate of books stolen from him – they were bought not for literary consumption, but as tinder to keep warm during the war. Mourning the demise of his labor of love, Al-Jabri reflected gloomily on the gravity of survival in such dire situations, resigning to the tragic reality: ‘The priority now is survival – to eat, not to read.’