Today, like all other necessities in Gaza — food, fuel, and medicine — cash is in extremely short supply, Al Jazeera reports.

With nearly every bank branch and ATM inoperable, people have become reliant on an unrestrained network of powerful cash brokers to get money for daily expenses — and commissions on those transactions have soared to about 40 per cent, according to an AP report.

“The people are crying blood because of this,” said Ayman al-Dahdouh, a school director living in Gaza City. “It’s suffocating us, starving us.”

“If I need $60, I need to transfer $100,” said Mohammed Basheer al-Farra, who lives in southern Gaza after being displaced from Khan Younis.

“This is the only way we can buy essentials, like flour and sugar. We lose nearly half of our money just to be able to spend it.”