Commercial Shipments From Israel to Gaza Halt Amid Dispute

Commercial shipments from Israel into Gaza had stopped by Thursday, while humanitarian aid and some commercial goods routed through Egypt continued to enter, according to Gaza’s private truckers union. The halt’s cause is disputed: Israel’s COGAT agency said merchants suspended coordination after pressure from Hamas, while the union’s head said Israel imposed the restrictions. COGAT said merchants had paused coordination for commercial deliveries until further notice. In a letter to international representatives, the agency said traders reported that Hamas demanded about 10,000 shekels per truck and required roughly 30% of sales to be made in cash. COGAT also relayed an allegation that a merchant’s son was arrested after the merchant refused to comply. The reports supplied no independent confirmation of that allegation. Hamas denied imposing taxes or fees on commercial trucks. It said the 10,000-shekel amount was a voluntary contribution to a relief fund and that cash transactions were encouraged because of a shortage of cash in Gaza. Gaza’s Economy Ministry, as described by truckers union head Nahed Sheheiber, likewise characterized the payment as a donation rather than a...