Gaza vendor sells perfume in bottles shaped like rockets
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — In Gaza, a perfume vendor has found an unusual way to show his defiance of the Israeli blockade of the coastal territory. Rocketshaped vials line the fragrant shelves of his Hijaz perfume shop in the AlSaha market of Gaza City.
Customers seeking a new fragrance can choose a “KN-103” scent, or perhaps spring for a “Buraq-100” — it depends which militant group’s rocket they’d like to display in their boudoir.
Shopkeeper Hamza Abu Saraya, the owner of the popular perfumery in the besieged Gaza Strip, said he first came up with idea to design perfume bottles shaped like militant rockets during the Israel-Gaza war in 2021.
Upon entering the store, clouds of incense give way to rich, floral scents coming from the miniature iron rockets, each labeled with the name of the projectile they represent.
Tiny models of the rockets from each group are represented in the shop for roughly $13 each. Within each vial, perfumes imported from outside Gaza have been locally mixed by workers in the strip. Gaza does not have any homegrown perfume brands.
For many buyers, the act of purchasing those perfumes was seen as a symbol of supporting Palestinian efforts to oppose the Israeli blockade of Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank. Israel said the blockade is to prevent militants from arming themselves, but Palestinians said the restrictions on movement in and out of Gaza, which have stifled the local economy, amount to collective punishment.
“I love resistance. It’s an art piece in my house,” said customer Islam Abu Hamdallah.