Bakers in Gaza went on strike last week after the ruling Hamas organisation refused to let them put up bread prices to cope with a shortage of goods, resulting from restrictions imposed by Israel. A 3kg bag of pitta bread sells for $2.30 and bakeries want to increase it to $2.50. The price in the West Bank is as high as $4.20. Osama al-Duleimi, a partner in a Gaza bakery, told Business Week that he had lost $15,000 of his own money trying to stop the business going bust.

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