{"id":9064,"date":"2026-10-15T22:30:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T22:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=9064"},"modified":"2026-10-15T22:30:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T22:30:31","slug":"israel-halts-commercial-goods-from-entering-gaza-hamas-denies-tax-claims-gaza-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=9064","title":{"rendered":"Israel halts commercial goods from entering Gaza; Hamas denies tax claims | Gaza News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The halt to commercial shipments, including fruit and winter clothing, cuts off a key source of critical supplies.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Published On 15 Oct 2026<\/span>15 Oct 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Israeli authorities say no commercial goods have entered Gaza for two days, citing what they claim is a tax dispute between local merchants and Hamas.<\/p>\n

COGAT, or the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli military body that \u201coversees humanitarian affairs\u201d in Gaza, announced the halt on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

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COGAT claimed that local merchants \u201cmade the decision in response to a 10,000 shekel ($3,220) fee imposed by Hamas on each truck entering Gaza\u201d as well as a demand for 30 percent of all sales in Gaza to be carried out in cash.<\/p>\n

This decision is expected to impact a crucial<\/a> source of food and goods for the 2.1 million<\/a> people in the Strip, who are completely reliant<\/a> on Israel\u2019s border crossings in a territory that is still suffering from famine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gaza\u2019s government media office refuted the claims on Thursday and condemned the \u201cblatant disinformation campaign and false statement\u201d.<\/p>\n

The media office instead said it was an attempt \u201cto hold the government apparatus in Gaza responsible for the disruption of truck entry\u201d and that the fee was a voluntary payment to a fund providing aid for those in need, such as widows and orphans.<\/p>\n

It also said that cash payments were encouraged due to what it described as an acute cash shortage in the war-torn<\/a> territory, but were never a mandatory requirement.<\/p>\n

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A Palestinian looks on at a house targeted by Israeli airstrikes in az-Zawayda, central Gaza Strip, October 11, 2026 [Mahmoud Issa\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An already dire humanitarian crisis<\/h2>\n

The halt to commercial shipments, including fruit and winter clothing, cuts off a key<\/a> source of food and other critical supplies\u00a0as fears mount ahead of the encroaching winter.<\/p>\n

Aid groups generally bring in staples such as flour, while merchants import more perishable foods like fruits and meat, according to data released earlier this year by COGAT.<\/p>\n

The suspension is raising fears about affordability, with humanitarian workers saying a combination of aid and a robust commercial market is needed to keep prices under control.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe humanitarian sector on its own cannot meet the needs of all the people,\u201d said Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council. \u201cThe markets need to be functioning.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Two Palestinian women walk along a street lined with buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza City, October 14, 2026 [Jehad Alshrafi\/AP Photo]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Local merchants step in<\/h2>\n

The head of Gaza\u2019s private truckers union, Nahed Sheheiber, denied the Israeli narrative, saying: \u201cThe Israeli coordinator is claiming that Gaza\u2019s merchants are responsible, but the truth is that the Israelis are the ones who imposed the restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following COGAT\u2019s announcement, Sheheiber\u2019s union met with Gaza\u2019s Ministry of Economy to express concern and say Israel was citing fees levied by the ministry as a pretext to cut off commercial goods.<\/p>\n

A global hunger monitor in July warned that more than two-thirds of people in Gaza could face acute hunger by the year-end.<\/p>\n

Israel is obliged under a US-mediated agreement to allow a minimum of 600 trucks<\/a> carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza each day.<\/p>\n

Diplomats say that far fewer than 600 trucks normally enter Gaza each day. Sheheiber said the figure was closer to 300, with two-thirds carrying commercial goods.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The halt to commercial shipments, including fruit and winter clothing, cuts off a key source of critical supplies. Published On 15 Oct 202615 Oct 2026 Israeli authorities say no commercial goods have entered Gaza for two days, citing what they claim is a tax dispute between local merchants and Hamas. COGAT, or the Coordinator of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t