The halt to commercial shipments, including of fruit and winter clothing, cuts off a key source of essential supplies.
Published on October 15, 2026
Israeli authorities say no commercial goods have entered Gaza for two days, citing what they claim is a tax dispute between local traders and Hamas.
COGAT, or Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli military body that “oversees humanitarian affairs” in Gaza, announced the ruling Wednesday.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
COGAT claimed that local traders “made this decision in response to the 10,000 shekel ($3,220) fee imposed by Hamas on every truck entering Gaza” as well as the demand that 30 percent of all sales in Gaza be made in cash.
The move is expected to impact a crucial source of food and goods for the Gaza Strip’s 2.1 million residents, who are entirely dependent on Israeli border crossings in a territory still suffering from famine.
The Gaza government’s media office refuted the claims on Thursday and condemned the “blatant disinformation campaign and false statements.”
The media office instead said it was an attempt “to hold the government apparatus in Gaza responsible for interrupting the entry of trucks” and that the fee was a voluntary payment to a fund providing aid to those in need, such as widows and orphans.
He also said cash payments were encouraged due to what he described as a severe cash shortage in the war-torn territory, but were never mandatory.
An already disastrous humanitarian crisis
The halt to commercial shipments, including of fruit and winter clothing, cuts off a key source of food and other essential supplies as fears grow as winter approaches.
Aid groups typically bring basic goods such as flour, while traders import more perishable foods like fruit and meat, according to data released earlier this year by COGAT.
The suspension raises fears about affordability, with aid workers saying a combination of aid and a strong commercial market is needed to keep prices under control.
“The humanitarian sector alone cannot meet the needs of all,” said Shaina Low, spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council. “Markets must work. »
Local traders step in
The head of Gaza’s private truckers’ union, Nahed Sheheiber, denied the Israeli account, saying: “The Israeli coordinator claims that Gaza traders are responsible, but the truth is that it was the Israelis who imposed the restrictions. »
Following COGAT’s announcement, Sheheiber’s union met with Gaza’s Ministry of Economy to express its concerns and say that Israel was using the fees collected by the ministry as a pretext to cut off commercial goods.
A global hunger monitor warned in July that more than two-thirds of Gaza residents could face acute famine by the end of the year.
Israel is obliged under a US-brokered deal to allow at least 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza each day.
Diplomats say far fewer than 600 trucks normally enter Gaza each day. Sheheiber said that figure was closer to 300, two-thirds of whom were transporting commercial goods.
Gn world
