Key facts
- Israel stated commercial goods are no longer entering Gaza.
- Hamas reportedly imposed a 10,000 shekel fee per truck and demanded 30% of sales in cash.
- The number of trucks entering Gaza daily is expected to be halved to around 300.
Israel announced on Wednesday that commercial goods have ceased entering Gaza, attributing the halt to a dispute over taxes imposed by Hamas on local merchants. COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing humanitarian affairs, stated that Gazan merchants decided to stop coordinating the entry of commercial goods. According to COGAT, the merchants cited a 10,000 shekel ($3,220) fee per truck and a demand for 30% of all sales to be paid in cash. Hamas later described the fee as a voluntary payment to a national fund and encouraged cash transactions due to a shortage in the territory. The head of Gaza's private transport union confirmed that no trucks carrying commercial products entered from Israel on Thursday, though humanitarian aid and goods from Egypt via an Israeli-controlled crossing did enter. COGAT estimates this will reduce the total daily number of trucks entering Gaza by half, to around 300.