Gaza commercial truck deliveries stop as Israel and Hamas trade blame

Commercial deliveries into the Gaza Strip have been interrupted, cutting off an essential channel for food and cold-weather supplies for over two million residents facing severe deprivation.

Israeli military officials reported that no commercial freight had crossed into the enclave over a two-day period. COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for managing civil affairs and border logistics in Gaza, stated that the pause arose from an internal dispute between local traders and Hamas authorities. According to the Israeli body, importers refused to move shipments after Hamas mandated a 10,000 shekel fee per vehicle and demanded that almost a third of retail transactions be conducted using hard currency.

Officials in Gaza rejected that explanation, describing it as an inaccurate narrative designed to deflect blame for the blockade onto local administration. The government media office in the territory stated that the financial contribution mentioned by Israeli authorities was non-mandatory and intended to support vulnerable groups such as widows and orphans. The office added that cash transactions were recommended solely to cope with regional currency deficits, rather than being an enforced rule.

Palestinian transport representatives also contested the Israeli account. Nahed Sheheiber, who leads Gaza's private transport union, said Israeli authorities were directly responsible for blocking the crossings and were utilizing internal administrative fees as an excuse to halt traffic. Sheheiber noted that typical traffic into Gaza has averaged roughly 300 vehicles daily, far short of the 600 humanitarian trucks stipulated by international arrangements, with commercial traffic making up roughly two-thirds of the typical volume.

Aid organizations warned that the loss of private market supply lines could have catastrophic consequences for the population. While international relief groups focus largely on staple commodities such as flour, commercial retailers bring in fresh produce, meat, and consumer necessities such as seasonal garments. Humanitarian workers noted that relying purely on donor assistance is insufficient to sustain the population and that functioning private commerce is critical to keeping local prices manageable.

The disruption comes amid wider warnings from international food monitoring bodies, which have cautioned that acute hunger could affect more than two-thirds of the enclave's residents before the end of the year. With winter approaching, relief coordinators stressed that maintaining both aid deliveries and commercial retail channels remains vital to preventing deeper humanitarian collapse.