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

What Happened

COGAT, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories — the Israeli military body that oversees humanitarian affairs in Gaza — announced on Wednesday that no commercial goods had entered Gaza for two days. COGAT claimed local merchants halted imports in response to a 10,000 shekel ($3,220) fee imposed by Hamas on each truck entering Gaza and a demand that 30 percent of all sales in Gaza be carried out in cash. Gaza’s government media office refuted this on Thursday as a “blatant disinformation campaign,” saying the fee was a voluntary payment to a fund for widows and orphans and that cash payments were encouraged because of an acute cash shortage but were never mandatory. The head of Gaza’s private truckers union, Nahed Sheheiber, also denied the Israeli narrative, saying Israel imposed the restrictions. The halt cuts off commercial shipments, including fruit and winter clothing, to the Strip’s 2.1 million people, who are completely reliant on Israel’s border crossings.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

Commercial shipments provide perishable foods like fruit and meat and winter clothing that aid groups generally do not supply at scale. The halt threatens food security and affordability for 2.1 million people in Gaza, where a July global hunger monitor warned more than two-thirds could face acute hunger by year-end. It also exposes friction between Israel, Hamas, and local merchants over taxation and cash flow and undercuts commitments under a US-mediated agreement to allow 600 humanitarian trucks per day — diplomats say far fewer normally enter, with Sheheiber putting the figure around 300, two-thirds commercial.

Watch For

Whether COGAT reopens commercial crossings or extends the halt beyond the initial two days; whether Hamas and Gaza’s Ministry of Economy reach an agreement with merchants on truck fees; reported daily truck counts against the 600-truck US-mediated minimum; and possible price spikes or acute hunger alerts from UN agencies and hunger monitors as winter approaches.