GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Before sunrise, at 5:30 a.m., hundreds of men and women gather at the popular markets in the Gaza Strip to rummage through piles of secondhand clothes in search of inexpensive items in light of the difficult economic times, or in search of international fashion brands that are no longer offered in Gaza's traditional markets.

At the break of dawn, merchants open the large bags of hand-me-down clothes, shoes and bags that they exhibit in front of their small shops or sidewalk stalls that line the streets of popular markets. Merchant Akram Basal told Al-Monitor, “We arrive at 5:30 a.m. to find people already waiting for us. The secret [for customers] is to beat the competition and arrive early to get the best merchandise. We sell around 1.5 tons of used goods in a single day.” Concerning the price of such goods, Basal said, “In these popular markets, no item costs more than 2 shekels [$0.50]. The economic situation is difficult indeed, and people come here in large numbers in winter or summer to buy goods of all types and sizes.”

Parents bring their children along to these markets to find them clothing at affordable prices. Mohamed al-Zamta, who was searching through piles of clothing for a dress for his daughter, told Al-Monitor, “Most new clothes available in traditional markets are of an inferior quality and made in China. Here I can find good-quality items for my daughter at affordable prices.” The young girl said, as she danced and swayed to show off the dress she was trying on, “There are beautiful dresses here.”

Secondhand goods are not limited to clothes; they include items such as shoes, bags, belts, curtains and children’s toys. The Wednesday flea market in the center of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, attracts all kinds of customers in search for items from used chairs to toys and schoolbags.