Gazans smoke molokhia leaves as tobacco disappears
Molokhia cigarettes show how Gaza’s scarcity economy is pushing residents into improvised, risky coping habits.
In 30 seconds
- Interviews in the lead report describe Gaza residents rolling dried molokhia leaves as a tobacco substitute.
- OCHA’s 5 June situation report says Kerem Shalom was Gaza’s only approved cargo crossing as of 4 June.
- OCHA’s 5 June situation report says Gaza non-food prices were 235% above pre-October 2023 levels.
- WHO states that all forms of tobacco use are harmful and that there is no safe exposure level.
Molokhia (leafy jute mallow widely cooked in Palestinian, Egyptian and Levantine cuisine) is being used in the lead report as an improvised smoking material rather than food. The Gaza Strip (coastal Palestinian territory under Israeli and Egyptian movement and goods restrictions since Hamas’s 2007 takeover) is the setting. Hamas (Palestinian Islamist movement that attacked Israel on 7 October 2023 and governs de facto in Gaza) remains central to Israel’s stated security rationale for restrictions. Israel (state controlling most Gaza access points and airspace) regulates cargo through crossings including Kerem Shalom (Israeli-controlled goods crossing into southern Gaza) and Zikim (northern Gaza crossing cited by OCHA as closed from 24 May 2026). OCHA (UN humanitarian coordination office) tracks access and supply constraints. WHO (UN health agency) sets global tobacco and smoke-risk guidance. DG ECHO (European Commission humanitarian-aid department) funds EU relief operations, currently led politically by Belgian Commissioner Hadja Lahbib.
Background
Israel tightened Gaza’s blockade after Hamas took control of the strip in 2007, while Egypt also restricted Rafah access. After Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, Israeli military operations and entry limits pushed Gaza into a prolonged humanitarian emergency. OCHA’s 5 June 2026 update says Zikim had been closed since 24 May and Kerem Shalom was the only approved cargo crossing as of 4 June. Illicit tobacco has appeared before as a war-economy signal: the Israeli Justice Ministry accused Bezalel Zini and others in February 2026 of smuggling cigarette cartons into Gaza, an allegation his lawyers denied.
The wider picture
Molokhia cigarettes are a minor object inside a larger geopolitical contest over Gaza’s blockade, Israel’s security policy, Hamas’s control, UN access and European diplomatic leverage. Tobacco scarcity also shows how restricted goods become political economy: ordinary commodities can turn into contraband, revenue sources, bargaining chips and evidence in arguments about whether restrictions protect security or deepen civilian harm.
Why now
The lead is timely because it appears after months of continued shortages and market distortion. OCHA’s 5 June situation report says Zikim remained closed, Kerem Shalom was the only approved cargo crossing as of 4 June, and prices were still far above pre-war levels.
What happens next
Watch whether Zikim reopens, whether Kerem Shalom screening delays ease, whether commercial truckloads shift toward essential items, and whether OCHA or health-cluster updates report respiratory illness, smoke exposure or further resort to improvised products. EU funding and medical-evacuation updates will show how Brussels responds to the wider health burden.
What to do
For Belgian and EU readers, nothing changes in daily life, but the story is a cue for how to read Gaza indicators: look beyond headline aid tonnage to market composition, prices, health services and coping behaviour. For NGOs and policymakers, improvised smoking points to public-health messaging, mental-health strain and the need to restore ordinary civilian supply chains.
How we got here
- 2007
Israel intensified Gaza movement and goods restrictions after Hamas took control of the strip; Egypt also restricted Rafah access.
- 2023-10-07
Hamas attacked Israel, after which Israel launched large-scale military operations in Gaza.
- 2026-02-05
The Israeli Justice Ministry accused Bezalel Zini and others of cigarette smuggling into Gaza; his lawyers denied the allegations.
- 2026-05-24
OCHA’s 5 June report says Israeli authorities kept Zikim crossing closed from this date.
- 2026-06-06
OCHA published its 5 June humanitarian situation report describing crossing constraints, prices and health risks.
EvidenceWell established · 1 primary source + 3 official documents + 1 independent reporting source · Academic sources: 1Explore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
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This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.
This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and passed Belgium Impulse source, provenance and publication-quality checks. methodology.