Gaza forced to use unreliable online payments amid ‘cash famine’

In Gaza, Firas Zaqloul struggles to make payments due to the destruction of his Palestinian identity card during the war. He cannot open a bank account and relies on worn banknotes that many merchants refuse. This situation has become common in the region, where an acute cash shortage, referred to as a 'cash famine', has been exacerbated by Israeli restrictions on cash entry since October 7, 2023.