Gaza Carpenters Repurpose Shipping Pallets into Furniture Amid War-Induced Shortages

Carpenters in Gaza are turning to scrap wood and shipping pallets to produce basic beds, cupboards, and shelves for families displaced by two years of war between Hamas and Israel, as Israeli restrictions continue to curb the entry of goods into the region.

In a workshop in southern Gaza, workers dismantle used pallets to make furniture, responding to shortages that have made regular construction materials scarce or prohibitively expensive. com reported that pallets became one of the few available sources of wood when limited aid trucks began entering Gaza.

Mohammed Wafi, a 34-year-old carpenter in Khan Younis who has worked in the field for 16 years, said demand for his handiwork has grown as people living in tents seek basic furniture. "Today people say, 'I just need something to get by, something to get my clothes off the floor'... especially those (living) in tents," Wafi said.

He added that due to rats and cockroaches, people need a tent or a bed lifted off the ground. Rats and parasites are spreading through Gaza's tent camps, biting people as they sleep, gnawing through possessions, and spreading disease. Even recycled furniture has become more costly in Gaza as prices for basic components soar.

70), but today it costs around 100 or 130 shekels, according to Wafi. Furniture made from pallets sells for 4,000 to 5,000 shekels, while a traditional bedroom set consisting of a bed, closet, and dresser costs 18,000 shekels. Shortages of electricity and wood have slowed production in Gaza, leaving carpenters unable to guarantee delivery times.

Wood is a construction material that Israel bans from entry to Gaza because it is considered a dual-use item. Israel cites security concerns for curbs on Gaza, and COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, has previously said it invests considerable efforts to ensure aid reaches Gaza and has denied restricting supplies.

The ceasefire in Gaza began in October, but it has been repeatedly violated.

Over 830 Palestinians have been reported killed since the ceasefire began, according to Palestinian tallies, while four Israeli soldiers have been reported killed, according to Israeli tallies. In tent encampments near Khan Younis, Mohammed Tayseer, who has lived in a tent for two years, said he slept on the ground until recently.

"The ground is sandy and dirty, and as you can see, you find the clothes full of sand.

There are rats and mice," Tayseer said. "One's back hurts and is stiff from sleeping on the floor… now (we) have a bed," he added. A Palestinian man looked at a wooden bed amid shortages of materials in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on May 2, 2026.

The article was reported by Haseeb Alwazeer in Gaza on May 5, 2026.