Israel halts commercial goods from entering Gaza; Hamas denies tax claims

The halt to commercialized shipments, including effect and wintertime clothing, cuts disconnected a cardinal root of captious supplies.

Israeli authorities accidental nary commercialized goods person entered Gaza for 2 days, citing what they assertion is simply a taxation quality betwixt section merchants and Hamas.

COGAT, oregon the Coordinator of Government Activities successful the Territories, the Israeli subject assemblage that “oversees humanitarian affairs” successful Gaza, announced the halt connected Wednesday.

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COGAT claimed that section merchants “made the determination successful effect to a 10,000 shekel ($3,220) interest imposed by Hamas connected each motortruck entering Gaza” arsenic good arsenic a request for 30 percent of each income successful Gaza to beryllium carried retired successful cash.

This determination is expected to interaction a crucial root of nutrient and goods for the 2.1 million radical successful the Strip, who are wholly reliant connected Israel’s borderline crossings successful a territory that is inactive suffering from famine.

Gaza’s authorities media bureau refuted the claims connected Thursday and condemned the “blatant disinformation run and mendacious statement”.

The media bureau alternatively said it was an effort “to clasp the authorities apparatus successful Gaza liable for the disruption of motortruck entry” and that the interest was a voluntary outgo to a money providing assistance for those successful need, specified arsenic widows and orphans.

It besides said that currency payments were encouraged owed to what it described arsenic an acute currency shortage successful the war-torn territory, but were ne'er a mandatory requirement.

A Palestinian looks connected astatine a location targeted by Israeli airstrikes successful az-Zawayda, cardinal Gaza Strip, October 11, 2026 [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]

An already dire humanitarian crisis

The halt to commercialized shipments, including effect and wintertime clothing, cuts disconnected a key root of nutrient and different captious supplies as fears equine up of the encroaching winter.

Aid groups mostly bring successful staples specified arsenic flour, portion merchants import much perishable foods similar fruits and meat, according to information released earlier this twelvemonth by COGAT.

The suspension is raising fears astir affordability, with humanitarian workers saying a operation of assistance and a robust commercialized marketplace is needed to support prices nether control.

“The humanitarian assemblage connected its ain cannot conscionable the needs of each the people,” said Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council. “The markets request to beryllium functioning.”

Two Palestinian women locomotion on a thoroughfare lined with buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hamas warfare successful Gaza City, October 14, 2026 [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]

Local merchants measurement in

The caput of Gaza’s backstage truckers union, Nahed Sheheiber, denied the Israeli narrative, saying: “The Israeli coordinator is claiming that Gaza’s merchants are responsible, but the information is that the Israelis are the ones who imposed the restrictions.”

Following COGAT’s announcement, Sheheiber’s national met with Gaza’s Ministry of Economy to explicit interest and accidental Israel was citing fees levied by the ministry arsenic a pretext to chopped disconnected commercialized goods.

A planetary hunger show successful July warned that much than two-thirds of radical successful Gaza could look acute hunger by the year-end.

Israel is obliged nether a US-mediated statement to let a minimum of 600 trucks carrying humanitarian assistance to participate Gaza each day.

Diplomats accidental that acold less than 600 trucks usually participate Gaza each day. Sheheiber said the fig was person to 300, with two-thirds carrying commercialized goods.