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Commercial goods stop entering Gaza amid Hamas tax dispute

Commercial goods stop entering Gaza amid Hamas tax dispute

Force in Play

Trucks are moving again after merchants said Hamas dropped a 10,000-shekel fee, but the World Food Programme has cut monthly aid to half a million people.

October 19th, 2026: Commercial shipments resume after Hamas drops truck fee

Overview

Updated Oct 22

Commercial trucks began entering Gaza again on October 19, after merchants said Hamas had withdrawn its demand for 10,000 shekels ($3,225) per truck. Israel's military body that runs the crossings said payments must now go through bank transfers, and that any merchant found to have paid Hamas would be barred from importing.

Food aid is shrinking anyway. The World Food Programme said on October 19 that a funding shortfall forced it to cut monthly assistance from 1.6 million people to 1.1 million and halve rations. The UN humanitarian office counted more than 2,800 children admitted for malnutrition treatment in September, including 360 with severe acute malnutrition.

Why it matters

Trucks are moving again, but aid cuts and high prices still leave 1.4 million Gazans in acute food insecurity.

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Key Indicators

1.1M
People on WFP aid
Gazans receiving World Food Programme assistance in October, down from 1.6 million in September.
204%
Food price inflation
September 2026 food prices in Gaza, above pre-October 2023 levels, per OCHA.

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People Involved

SL
Shaina Low
Spokesperson, Norwegian Refugee Council
Warns that humanitarian aid alone cannot sustain Gaza
 Daniel Kantorovich
Daniel Kantorovich
Deputy spokesperson, COGAT
Announced on October 19 that commercial shipments would gradually resume
 Khaled al-Raqab
Khaled al-Raqab
Undersecretary, Hamas-run Gaza ministry
Met with merchants over the fee dispute
DA
Dr Mohamed B Alraee
Paediatrician and nutrition specialist, Gaza City
Treating children with moderate and severe malnutrition

Organizations Involved

CO
COGAT
Israeli military body
Resumed commercial shipments on October 19 under tightened payment rules

The Israeli military body that coordinates and controls the flow of all supplies into Gaza.
Gaza Health Ministry
Gaza Health Ministry
Government agency
Reports malnutrition data; its media office denies the tax claims

The Hamas-run ministry that tracks health conditions in Gaza.
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
UN Agency
Warns gains against malnutrition are fragile

The United Nations children's agency, which tracks child malnutrition in Gaza.
Norwegian Refugee Council
Norwegian Refugee Council
Aid organization
Warns markets must function to prevent famine

Aid organization that operates in Gaza and depends on functioning commercial markets.
World Food Programme (WFP)
World Food Programme (WFP)
United Nations agency
Cut monthly Gaza assistance from 1.6 million people to 1.1 million in October

The UN food agency, which runs large-scale food assistance in Gaza.

Timeline

August 2025 October 2026

10 events Latest: October 19th, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Commercial shipments resume after Hamas drops truck fee

    Latest Policy

    COGAT said commercial goods would enter gradually, with priority on essentials before winter, after merchants reported Hamas had withdrawn the 10,000-shekel per-truck demand. Payments must go through documented bank transfers, and any merchant found to have paid Hamas faces exclusion.

  2. World Food Programme cuts aid to 500,000 people

    Humanitarian

    Citing a funding shortfall, WFP reduced monthly support from 1.6 million people in September to 1.1 million in October, halved food parcels and cut daily hot meals from 250,000 to 150,000.

  3. Over 2,800 children treated for malnutrition in September

    Report

    The UN humanitarian office reported that more than 2,800 children were admitted for malnutrition treatment in September, including more than 360 with severe acute malnutrition, with about 3,000 children admitted each month.

  4. Prices surge as commercial halt enters fifth day

    Report

    Al Jazeera reports sharp rises in egg, onion, and avocado prices. OCHA says September food prices were 204% above pre-war levels.

  5. Halt enters second day; health warnings mount

    Report

    Gaza Health Ministry reports 466 malnutrition deaths since 2024; UNICEF says halt may reverse gains.

  6. Hamas denies tax claims

    Statement

    Gaza government media office denies tax claims, calls them a 'blatant disinformation campaign.'

  7. Transport union confirms Israel-route halt; Egyptian route continues

    Report

    Nahed Shhaibar, head of Gaza's private transport union, said no commercial truck from Israel entered that day. Humanitarian aid, and commercial goods from Egypt via an Israeli-controlled crossing, did.

  8. Israel halts commercial shipments

    Policy

    COGAT announces suspension of commercial goods, saying merchants halted coordination over a Hamas truck fee.

  9. US-brokered ceasefire takes effect

    Ceasefire

    Ceasefire allows more humanitarian and commercial goods into Gaza, easing the famine.

  10. Famine declared in Gaza

    Humanitarian

    Integrated Food Security Phase Classification declares famine in Gaza after nearly two years of war.

Scenarios

1

Merchants resume truck coordination, commercial goods flow again

Likely Resolves by Nov 30, 2026

Discussed by: COGAT said the suspension could be reversed at the merchants' request; Al Jazeera and AP covered the coordination process.

COGAT frames the halt as the merchants' own decision and says it can be reversed whenever they resume coordination. A resolution of the fee dispute — or an agreement that the payments are voluntary — would let trucks through again. Given the famine backdrop, pressure on both sides to restore the flow is high.

2

Suspension drags on, food prices spike and malnutrition worsens

Possible Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: Norwegian Refugee Council spokesperson Shaina Low and UNICEF both warned that supply disruptions could reverse gains.

If the dispute persists, perishable foods vanish from markets and prices climb. UNICEF warned that even small disruptions to humanitarian access could rapidly reverse recent gains. A prolonged halt during winter could push acute malnutrition back toward famine levels.

3

Aid agencies scale up to compensate for the commercial halt

Possible Resolves by Nov 30, 2026

Discussed by: UNICEF and Gaza Health Ministry both urged crossings to remain open and supplies to keep flowing.

Humanitarian groups mainly deliver staples like flour, while merchants bring perishables. If aid truck entries rise sharply, basic needs could be met even as fresh food stays scarce. COGAT says Gaza needs about 250 trucks daily — far below the 600-a-day target in the ceasefire deal — leaving room for a scaled-up aid response.

4

WFP restores full rations and 1.6 million recipients

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: World Food Programme

WFP said the October cut was caused by a funding shortfall, not access. New donor money would let it return to the September caseload of 1.6 million people and restore the second food parcel and the 250,000 daily hot meals.

5

Commercial shipments halt again over payment rules

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: COGAT

COGAT says merchants must be paid and pay only through bank transfers, and that anyone found to have paid Hamas will be excluded from importing. If merchants or Hamas reject those terms, coordination could stall again and prices would climb as they did in mid-October.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

August 2025

Famine declared in Gaza (2025)

After nearly two years of war and tight restrictions on aid, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in Gaza in August 2025. The declaration meant people in parts of the Strip were already dying of starvation.

Then

A scaled-up aid response and the October 2025 ceasefire pushed famine back, but the IPC said conditions remained at crisis levels.

Now

The episode set the baseline of deprivation that now makes any disruption to supply a life-threatening event.

Why this matters now

This is the recent backdrop for the current commercial halt — a territory still recovering from declared famine, where any cut to supplies risks re-triggering it.

June 1948 – May 1949

Berlin Blockade (1948-1949)

The Soviet Union cut all land and water routes into West Berlin, trapping 2.5 million people without food or coal. The US and Britain responded with an airlift that flew in supplies around the clock.

Then

The airlift sustained the city for nearly a year; the Soviets lifted the blockade in May 1949.

Now

It set a precedent for supplying a besieged civilian population from outside and showed how food access can become a weapon in a standoff.

Why this matters now

Gaza is the inverse: a single party fully controls every entry point and can halt supply, leaving civilians dependent on the party running the crossings.

Sources

(13)
+7
Al Jazeera Al Arabiya English The Jerusalem Post The Straits Times Reuters via Investing.com Daily Sabah Al-Monitor The Times of Israel Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Al Jazeera The Jerusalem Post