Dispute over Hamas fees halts commercial supplies from Israel

Entry of trucks loaded with commercial goods from Israel into the Gaza Strip stopped on Thursday amid a dispute over fees that Israel says Hamas imposes on merchants, while the movement describes them as voluntary contributions to support the needy, according to Reuters.

The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli military unit, said in a statement on Wednesday that Gaza merchants had suspended coordination with it regarding the entry of commercial goods, protesting a fee of 10,000 shekels, or about $3,220, per truck, in addition to demanding that 30 percent of their total sales be paid in cash.

Hamas stated that the mentioned amounts are voluntary payments made by wealthy individuals in the sector to a national fund supporting the needy, including widows and orphans. It added that the encouragement of cash payments stems from the severe liquidity shortage within Gaza.

Nahid Shihabir, head of the Private Transport Association in Gaza, confirmed that no truck carrying commercial products entered from Israel on Thursday. However, he noted that humanitarian aid trucks and other trucks loaded with commercial goods continued to enter from Egypt via a crossing controlled by Israel.

This disruption threatens a vital source of food and essential goods in the strip, where most residents rely on aid after three years of war, repeated displacement, and strict Israeli restrictions on delivering supplies.

The Israeli unit estimated that the suspension of coordination would reduce the total number of daily incoming humanitarian and commercial trucks to approximately 300, half the usual amount. However, diplomats said the normal number is far below 600 trucks, while Shihabir estimated it at around 300, two-thirds of which carry commercial goods.

A US-brokered agreement obligates Israel to allow the entry of at least 600 humanitarian aid trucks daily. In contrast, Israel claims its commitment relates to a total of 600 trucks, considering commercial goods complementary to aid.

Most of Gaza's population, numbering approximately two million people, lives in temporary shelters amidst warnings of a worsening food crisis due to ongoing difficulties in entering supplies.