Israel Halts Commercial Goods Into Gaza — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing Gaza humanitarian affairs, announced Wednesday that commercial goods would no longer enter the territory, cutting off food and shelter supplies as Palestinians face approaching winter
- COGAT claimed the suspension was a decision by Gaza merchants protesting Hamas taxes, but Palestinian importers and Gaza private truckers union head Nahed Sheheiber said Israel itself imposed the restrictions, not merchants
- Gaza's Ministry of Economy undersecretary Khaled Al-Raqab told the truckers union that the 10,000 shekel (~$3,226) per truck fee was a "donation" to help pay civil servants — not a tax as Israel framed it
- COGAT estimated Gaza's roughly 2 million residents need approximately 250 truckloads of goods daily, far below the 600-truck minimum stipulated by the US-brokered ceasefire reached a year ago
- Norwegian Refugee Council spokesperson Shaina Low warned the humanitarian sector alone cannot meet Gaza's needs and that functioning markets are essential to keeping prices under control
- The world's leading authority on food insecurity reported earlier this year that conditions in Gaza remained at crisis levels and that small disruptions to access could rapidly reverse recent gains
Why it matters: Gaza's 2 million residents now rely entirely on aid after the commercial goods suspension, with COGAT's own 250 daily truckload estimate falling below half the 600-truck minimum set by the US-brokered ceasefire. The leading food insecurity authority warned small access disruptions can reverse recent gains, and markets are critical to keeping prices stable as crisis-level conditions persist into winter.
Ask SkimNews
