COGAT: Hamas Extorts ₪10,000 per Gaza Truck; Merchants Halt Deliveries

Israel's COGAT revealed that Hamas is extorting cash fees for every commercial truck entering Gaza, prompting merchants to suspend deliveries to the strip.

The entry of commercial goods into the Gaza Strip has been halted after Hamas threatened local merchants, the Makor Rishon newspaper reported. According to a report by Arutz 7, Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) sent an official letter to senior international officials, revealing that Hamas has been operating a forced collection mechanism targeting merchants bringing goods into the strip.

According to the reports, the organization demands a payment of 10,000 shekels for each truck and requires goods to be sold solely in cash. Following these threats, merchants announced the suspension of coordination for truck deliveries into the enclave, despite Israel approving the entry of hundreds of trucks.