Rifles are displayed for sale at Firearms Unknown, a gun store in Oceanside, California, US, April 12, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Bing Guan

Sales and license applications for guns in Israel have spiked to unprecedented levels during Israel’s war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

Since the war started on Oct. 7 — when Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel, murdered 1,200 people, and kidnapped 240 others as hostages — a growing number of civilians have viewed arming themselves as essential. Most of the people murdered on Oct. 7 were unarmed civilians.

According to government numbers, more than 265,000 Israelis have applied for a firearms license between Oct. 7 and early December — six times the total number of applications from 2022, despite only covering a two-month period. Earlier this year, there were around only 36,000 applications.

Roughly 85,000 licenses and conditional permits have been issued in the recent period. Last year, 12,896 gun-carrying licenses were issued, and 10,000 were issued in 2021.

The massive increase in licensing has led to an overburden of gun ranges, as well as gun shops running low on ammunition and weapons.

Meanwhile, there has been a large markup in the price of Israeli-made guns, especially compared to the price that would be paid in the United States, according to pricing databases published by the Retail Research Institute.

For example, weapons purchased such as the Masada or Jericho handguns by Israel Weapon Industries have been marked up 100 percent versus their pre-war price and the current price they are selling for in the US.

Despite the price increase, however, consumers are still buying firearms.

“The Israeli public rushes to the cash registers and does not stop to think and examine the price,” said Dr. Hazi Gur Mizrahi, who conducted a study on firearm purchases in Israel.

However, Israeli law prohibits price gauging of any goods during emergencies, giving the Economy Ministry the power to set fixed prices on goods. Those in violation of such regulations can face massive fines.

To push back on the price hikes, the ministry has taken protective measures, although many weapons are sold second-hand and harder to regulate. As for gun stores, however, they will have to comply with specific prices set by the government.