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

The halt to commercial shipments, including fruit and winter clothing, cuts off a key source of critical supplies.Published On 15 Oct 202615 Oct 2026Israeli 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 Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli military body that “oversees humanitarian affairs” in Gaza, announced the halt on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Palestinians say Israel’s democracy ‘is a joke’list 2 of 3Israeli plan to reopen settler ‘Route 463’ threatens to isolate Ramallahlist 3 of 3Israel’s former security chief sues Netanyahu for October 7 defamationend of listCOGAT claimed that local merchants “made the decision in response to a 10,000 shekel ($3,220) fee imposed by Hamas on each truck entering Gaza” as well as a demand for 30 percent of all sales in Gaza to be carried out in cash.This decision is expected to impact a crucial source of food and goods for the 2.1 million people in the Strip, who are completely reliant on Israel’s border crossings in a territory that is still suffering from famine.Gaza’s govern...