Gaza bakeries forced to shut as Israel blocks flour shipments

Ten of Gaza’s 17 operational bakeries have shut in recent days. The immediate cause is a shortage of commercial wheat flour, which large bakeries need to make bread at scale. The closures matter because bread is a daily staple for families across Gaza.

Abdel Nasser al-Ajrami, head of Gaza’s Association of Bakery Owners, reported the figures. Residents have been queuing for hours to obtain bread. He warned that more bakeries could close unless new flour supplies arrive. The article says no commercial flour shipments had entered for 10 days.

The closures are worsening an already severe food crisis. Gaza’s Ministry of Social Development warned that restrictions on flour and bakery supplies could cause an imminent humanitarian catastrophe. It also reported rising acute malnutrition, especially among children, patients and older people. Further closures would reduce bread availability and increase pressure on families and aid systems.

Commercial wheat flour is flour produced and sold for business use, including large bakeries. It is made from milled wheat and supplied in quantities suitable for regular bread production. The article does not give a technical definition, but this standard meaning explains why shortages quickly affect commercial bakeries.

Large bakeries produce far more bread than households can make themselves. Their equipment, staff and daily schedules depend on receiving enough flour repeatedly. When shipments stop, stored supplies run down and production must be reduced or halted. Gaza’s bakery owners said no commercial flour shipments had entered for 10 days.

That interruption has already closed 10 of 17 operational bakeries. The remaining bakeries face the same risk if supplies do not arrive. Residents are queuing for hours for bread, while the ministry warns of worsening food insecurity and rising malnutrition among children, patients and older people.

When bakeries cannot produce enough bread, families lose access to a major everyday food source. Shortages can force people to wait longer, travel farther or compete for limited supplies. The impact is greatest for displaced people and poorer households, which may have fewer alternatives when bread becomes scarce.

Gaza residents have already been queuing for hours to obtain bread. Ten of the 17 operational bakeries have closed because commercial flour shipments were blocked. The ministry warned that food security could collapse, while the article reports rising acute malnutrition among children, patients and older people.

The crisis could deepen if more bakeries shut or aid supplies fall. The World Food Programme has ended food aid for more than 500,000 Palestinians because of funding shortages. Together, reduced bakery production and reduced assistance could increase hunger and push more people toward famine conditions.

The World Food Programme supports 21 bakeries in Gaza. Those bakeries meet only 25 percent of the territory’s bread needs, according to Abdel Nasser al-Ajrami, head of the Association of Bakery Owners in Gaza. This means the supported network covers only a limited share of demand.

The figure shows why flour shortages at commercial bakeries can have wide effects. The article separately reports that 10 of Gaza’s 17 operational commercial bakeries have closed. Residents have responded by queuing for hours to obtain bread, while bakery owners warn that more closures may follow without new supplies.

The pressure is also occurring as the WFP ends food aid for more than 500,000 Palestinians because of insufficient funding. With supported bakeries covering just one-quarter of bread needs, continued shipment restrictions or funding gaps could leave more families without dependable access to bread.

Under the October 2025 ceasefire, Israel pledged to stop its bombing campaign and allow at least 600 aid trucks into Gaza each day. The agreement set a clear delivery target for humanitarian assistance. The article also describes commercial shipments as a separate issue, with Israel suspending them on 14 October and saying they would resume five days later.

Actual deliveries fell well below the ceasefire target. Israeli authorities maintained tight restrictions on aid and commercial goods, and an average of about 200 trucks entered Gaza daily. Palestinians said wide-ranging restrictions on food supplies remained. The article also reports repeated bombardments after the ceasefire.

The gap matters because fewer trucks mean less food and fewer essential supplies entering Gaza. The article says 1.4 million people face acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse. Continued restrictions could deepen hunger, while failure to meet the 600-truck target leaves aid needs unmet.

Israel is the actor described as blocking or restricting flour, commercial goods and aid entering Gaza. Israel said commercial shipments were suspended because of an alleged tax dispute with Hamas-led authorities. Hamas and Palestinian importers denied that explanation. The article therefore presents competing claims about why commercial shipments were halted.

Palestinian importers are the merchants whose shipments were affected and who rejected Israel’s tax-dispute claim. Hamas-led authorities are identified as the governing side Israel cited in that dispute. The World Food Programme has a different role: it supports 21 bakeries and provides food aid, rather than controlling border deliveries. It ended aid for more than 500,000 Palestinians because of funding shortages.

The result is a supply chain under multiple pressures. Israel’s restrictions affect what enters, while funding limits affect what the WFP can provide. The article reports that no flour shipments entered for 10 days and that 10 commercial bakeries consequently closed.

Acute food insecurity occurs when people cannot reliably obtain enough food to meet basic needs. It can involve shortages, reduced access or inability to afford food. The article reports that 1.4 million people in Gaza face acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse, including 200,000 at emergency levels.

Flour is a key input for commercial bakeries. If shipments are blocked, bakeries use up stored supplies and stop producing bread. Gaza has already seen 10 of 17 operational bakeries close, while residents queue for hours. The WFP-supported bakeries meet only 25 percent of Gaza’s bread needs.

This creates a chain reaction. Less flour means less bread, and less bread increases pressure on families, displaced people and poorer households. The ministry also reports rising acute malnutrition among children, patients and older people. If restrictions and shortages continue, food security could worsen and famine could spread.