Gaza Private Merchants Halt Goods Coordination Amid Hamas Extortion Threats
COGAT informed international officials that Gaza private sector merchants suspended goods coordination due to Hamas extortion, threats, and forced taxation demanding cash and cash per truck.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Major General Yoram Halevy, sent a letter on Wednesday to senior international community officials, updating them that private sector merchants have announced the suspension of coordination for goods entering the Gaza Strip until further notice. This announcement follows the forced taxation mechanism operated by Hamas and escalating threats against merchants who refuse to comply with its demands.
The letter was forwarded to the Senior Gaza Representative on the Peace Council, Nickolay Mladenov, the Commander of the Gaza International Stabilization Force, Major General Jasper Jeffers, and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Region, Ramiz Alakbarov.
Hamas Detains Merchant's Son Amid Extortion Demands
According to reports received, Hamas security operatives detained the son of one of the merchants on Tuesday and transferred him to Abbas prison after the merchant refused to comply with the organization's taxation demands. In response and fearing for their lives, the merchants announced they would halt coordinations starting Wednesday.
According to the merchants' reports, Hamas is demanding a payment of approximately 10,000 shekels for every truckload of goods entering the Strip, and additionally obligates them to sell about 30% of the goods for cash, which they claim is intended to seize funds. These demands contradict the approved merchants' commitment to execute and receive payments exclusively via bank transfers.
"The private sector constitutes about 50% of all trucks entering the Strip weekly, and halting its activity due to Hamas threats harms Israel's ability to meet the target of 600 trucks per day set under the ceasefire agreement," stated COGAT.
International Appeal and Warning Over Disinformation
COGAT clarified that responsibility for the consequences of the private sector's halted activity rests entirely with the terrorist organization Hamas, and called on international actors to act immediately to prevent its interference in the aid and goods entry mechanism.
The coordinator also warned that Hamas will exploit the private sector suspension to spread false claims regarding goods shortages and Israel's failure to comply with the agreement, attempting to deflect blame onto Israel and conceal its direct responsibility for disrupting the flow of goods into the Gaza Strip.
