Gaza Merchants Strike Over Hamas Extortion, Israel Warns World
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Gaza merchants have begun a strike due to Hamas's extortionate taxation and threats, prompting an urgent warning from Israel's COGAT to the international community. The strike is expected to halve the flow of goods into Gaza, and Hamas may blame Israel for shortages. The IDF reported Hamas demands cash payments and a percentage of sales per truck. Separately, Israeli forces uncovered a network of "charitable organizations" in the West Bank funneling funds to Hamas and the PFLP.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Gaza merchants are striking due to Hamas extortion, threatening a 50% drop in goods entering the Strip.
- Israel's COGAT warned international officials that Hamas will likely blame Israel for resulting shortages.
- Hamas reportedly demands cash payments and a percentage of sales per truck, impacting merchants' operations.
- The strike could hinder Israel's ability to meet its ceasefire obligations for daily truck deliveries.
- Israeli forces exposed "charitable organizations" in the West Bank acting as fronts for Hamas and PFLP.
- One raided charity, Adameer, allegedly provided legal aid to terrorists, some involved in a 2019 attack.
Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj. Gen. Yoram Levy, sent an urgent letter to international officials on Wednesday detailing a private merchant strike in Gaza. The strike, attributed to threats and extortionate taxation by Hamas, is expected to reduce goods entering the Strip by 50%. Levy warned that Hamas would attempt to blame Israel for the resulting shortages.
The dramatic action by merchants follows increased threats against those refusing Hamas's demands. The letter was addressed to Nikolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process; Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, Commander of the International Stabilization Force for the Gaza Strip; and Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the region.
According to the announcement, Hamas security forces arrested the son of a merchant who refused to pay the terror group's demanded fees. The IDF reported that Hamas is demanding approximately NIS 10,000 in cash per truck entering Gaza and requires merchants to sell about 30% of their goods in cash, a move seen as enabling Hamas to directly seize funds. This also contradicts agreements for merchants to conduct transactions solely through controlled bank transfers.
The taxation mechanism has recently been expanded to sub-merchants and is reportedly intended to be applied even to drinking water supplies. The merchant strike directly impacts Israel's ability to meet its ceasefire obligations, which include allowing approximately 600 trucks daily into Gaza, split between international organizations and independent Gaza merchants. The private sector accounts for about 50% of these trucks, meaning the strike could lead to a daily drop of around 300 trucks.
COGAT emphasized that Hamas bears full responsibility and urged international actors to prevent the terror group's interference with aid and goods delivery and its exploitation for economic and military buildup. Levy also warned that Hamas would exploit the strike to spread false claims of shortages and Israeli non-compliance with the agreement.
In a separate operation, the IDF and Shin Bet announced the exposure of cooperation between "charitable organizations" and terror groups in the West Bank. Five operatives collaborating with Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were arrested in Ramallah and Bita. The "charitable organizations" allegedly served as offices for these terror groups. The IDF stated that the "Adameer" charity, raided in Ramallah, is funded by terror money and provides legal aid to Popular Front terrorists. Some of its employees were involved in the 2019 Ma'ayanot Dani attack that killed Rena Schnerb. Additionally, forces raided the offices of the "Islamic Society for the Care of Orphans" in Yatta, declared an illegal association, which acted as an organizational and financial arm of Hamas, transferring funds and supporting families of terrorists and prisoners.
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