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Gaza Wedding Dresses Hit $1,000, Bike-Powered Sewing Workshop

5/18/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The cheapest new wedding dress in Gaza now costs at least $1,000, far above the typical dowry of less than $200.
Fabric prices have risen from about 120-150 shekels per bolt to roughly 500 shekels since the conflict began.
Nisreen Al-Rantisi runs a small sewing workshop in southern Gaza that refurbishes worn wedding gowns because of wartime shortages.
Electricity shortages force the workshop to use a bicycle-powered sewing machine.

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Story summary

The cheapest new wedding dress in Gaza now costs at least $1,000, far above the typical dowry of less than $200.
Fabric prices have risen from about 120-150 shekels per bolt to roughly 500 shekels since the conflict began.
Nisreen Al-Rantisi runs a small sewing workshop in southern Gaza that refurbishes worn wedding gowns because of wartime shortages.
Electricity shortages force the workshop to use a bicycle-powered sewing machine.