Israel said commercial goods would no longer enter the Gaza Strip after its Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, known as COGAT, announced the suspension of coordination for their entry. The measure halts a major source of food and shelter supplies to the war-ravaged territory as Palestinians face the approach of winter.
COGAT suspends coordination of commercial goods entering Gaza
COGAT, an Israeli military body overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, said in a statement issued on Wednesday that it was suspending coordination for commercial goods entering the territory. It was unclear from the statement whether the unit had taken the decision itself, as it said it was conveying a position from Gaza traders, an account Palestinians denied.
The suspension of coordination would immediately reduce the volume of supplies reaching Gaza, given the territory’s complete reliance on goods that Israel allows to pass through border crossings. The measure also raised concerns about residents’ ability to afford prices, as aid workers stressed the need to increase assistance and maintain an effective commercial market to keep the cost of goods under control.
Shina Lo, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said the humanitarian sector could not meet the needs of all residents on its own, adding: “Markets must function.” When it announced the measure, COGAT said it was conveying a decision taken by local traders in Gaza after, according to its account, they had grown tired of Hamas imposing a tax on their lorries and of the threats they faced.
Israel and Hamas trade accounts over lorry fees
Israel has long accused Hamas of imposing fees on imports to fund its operations. In contrast, Nahid Shahibir, head of Gaza’s Private Transport Association, said in a statement to Masdar News Network that halting commercial coordination was an “Israeli decision” and had not come from the territory’s traders, as the Israeli coordinator said.
He added that Israel was claiming that Hamas demanded 10,000 shekels for every lorry entering Gaza, denying the allegation.
