Gaza Genocideupdated 1h ago3 min read
Israel Halts Commercial Goods Into Gaza, Cites Hamas Truck Tax Dispute
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Israel halted commercial goods into Gaza for two days over tax dispute with Hamas. Gaza denies imposing taxes on commercial trucks; accuses Israel of misinformation to justify restrictions.
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Goods halt sparks dispute
Israel’s COGAT announced that no commercial goods had entered Gaza for two days, framing the stoppage as a tax dispute between local merchants and Hamas. COGAT said local merchants “made the decision in response to a 10,000 shekel ($3,220) fee imposed by Hamas on each truck entering Gaza,” and it also demanded “30 percent of all sales in Gaza to be carried out in cash.” Gaza’s government media office rejected the claims on Thursday and condemned what it called a “blatant disinformation campaign and false statement,” saying the fee was a voluntary payment to a fund providing aid for widows and orphans.
The halt to commercial shipments, including fruit and winter clothing, cut off a key source of food and other critical supplies for the 2.1 million people in the Strip, which the article says are completely reliant on Israel’s border crossings. Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said, “The markets need to be functioning.”
Union denies blame
Nahed Sheheiber, the head of Gaza’s private truckers union, denied the Israeli narrative and told AP that “The merchants are not the ones who stopped the shipments.” Sheheiber said “The Israeli coordinator is claiming that Gaza’s merchants are responsible, but the truth is that the Israelis are the ones who imposed the restrictions,” while his union met with Gaza’s Ministry of Economy to express concern. The Gaza Government Media Office said it rejected “any attempt to hold [the Gaza government] responsible for the reduction in truck entry,” and it said the restrictions “exacerbates the humanitarian and economic crisis and hinders the provision of food, medicine, and shelter.”
COGAT’s halt, the article says, came as Israel continued daily attacks in violation of the US-backed ceasefire deal, and the Health Ministry reported that the IDF killed at least four Palestinians and wounded nine in the past 24 hours. The article also said Israel agreed to allow 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza each day, while Sheheiber said the number was closer to 300 with two-thirds carrying commercial goods.
Humanitarian and political stakes
COGAT said Israel was obliged under a US-mediated agreement to allow a minimum of 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza each day, and the article says diplomats said far fewer than 600 trucks normally enter each day. The Gaza Government Media Office urged intermediaries, the National Committee for the Management of Gaza, the United Nations, and international parties to pressure Israel to fulfill its commitments and to verify facts through direct contact with relevant authorities. The office also insisted that “no taxes or government fees were imposed on commercial trucks,” and it said it had collected no taxes or fees on commercial activities in the past three years because of “the exceptional humanitarian and economic circumstances in the sector.”
In parallel, the article said Gaza’s private transport leadership reported that “no truck carrying commercial Israeli products entered Gaza,” while trucks carrying humanitarian aid and others carrying commercial goods from Egypt entered via an Israeli-controlled crossing. Yoram Hexler, the Israeli government coordinator for the Territories, had claimed in a letter that Hamas demanded traders pay around 10,000 shekels for every truck entering Gaza, but Hamas rejected the allegations and said it “categorically” denied imposing taxes or government fees on commercial trucks.