The shift to electronic payment in Gaza.. additional burdens on citizens

A report reviews the suffering of Gaza residents with the forced shift to electronic payment, as merchants refuse to accept valid paper currency, and intermediaries impose commissions of up to 15 shekels to convert cash into electronic credit, depriving the elderly and those without smartphones of the ability to purchase.

A report from Gaza documents a growing crisis faced by citizens with the forced shift to electronic payment. The elderly woman Fatima Kloub recounts her struggle to find stores that accept her 100-shekel paper currency, sometimes forced to buy goods she does not need to exhaust the value of the note. Citizen Ibrahim Miqdad confirms that some stores and malls refuse paper notes of 50, 100, and 200 shekels, demanding customers transfer their money to electronic credit via banking apps, with commissions ranging between 5 and 15 shekels per note, potentially reaching half its value if worn. Economic expert Ahmed Abu Qamar warns that banking service disruptions have pushed some transactions to the black market, and sees the forced expansion of electronic payment raising fears of bank account freezes. The General Directorate of Police stated in a release on September 26, 2026, the necessity of circulating valid paper currency, announcing follow-up on violators and legal action against them.