Cigarette prices in the Gaza Strip have surged to unprecedented levels, with a single pack now selling for as much as 1,300 shekels, according to recent reports. The sharp spike comes amid a reduction in supply and stricter enforcement measures targeting smuggling into the territory.

Just four months ago, a pack of cigarettes cost about 70 shekels. This week, however, the price climbed to 1,300 shekels. A Gaza resident told Kan News that many smokers have begun searching for alternatives. According to him, residents have reached the point where they are smoking herbs and adding nicotine to them.

In October 2025, a single cigarette sold for between two and three shekels. Today, individual cigarettes are priced between 30 and 50 shekels each. Reports attribute the dramatic increase to a significant decline in cigarette shipments into Gaza, as well as tougher measures aimed at curbing smuggling operations.

The resident who spoke with Kan News accused local traders of exploiting the situation, saying they are hoarding goods and creating monopolies at the expense of Gaza’s residents, in addition to the taxes imposed by Hamas.

Smoking rates in Gaza are considered very high. Residents consume an estimated 600 million cigarettes annually — roughly 30,000 packs per year — generating a market valued at approximately one billion shekels each year.

The same resident noted that nicotine used in improvised cigarette substitutes has also risen sharply in price. A liter of nicotine, which previously cost 3,000 shekels, now sells for 20,000 shekels, he said.