developing· Security· Updated 15:16

Gaza Merchants Halt Goods Deliveries Amid Hamas Extortion and Threats

On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, private sector merchants in the Gaza Strip suspended the coordination of goods entering the territory until further notice. The decision followed escalating threats and extortion demands from the terrorist organization Hamas, which has been demanding approximately 10,000 shekels per truck of goods entering Gaza.

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Gaza Merchants Halt Goods Deliveries Amid Hamas Extortion and Threats — Illustration by baba

What happened

01Gaza merchants suspended goods coordination on Wednesday due to Hamas extortion and threats.
02Hamas is demanding approximately 10,000 shekels per truck and requiring 30% of goods be sold for cash.
03Hamas security forces arrested a merchant's son on Tuesday and held him in Abbas Prison after his father refused to pay.
04The private sector accounts for 50% of the weekly truck entries into the Gaza Strip.
05The merchants' strike jeopardizes Israel's ability to meet the ceasefire agreement's target of 600 trucks per day.
06COGAT Maj. Gen. Yoram Levy warned international officials that Hamas is exploiting trade for economic and military buildup.
07Israel will continue facilitating humanitarian aid through international organizations, estimating 250 trucks daily are sufficient.

According to reports, Hamas is also requiring merchants to sell about 30% of their merchandise for cash, bypassing bank transfers in an attempt to seize funds. The immediate trigger for the strike occurred on Tuesday, when Hamas security forces arrested the son of a merchant who refused to comply with the tax demands, transferring him to Abbas Prison. Fearing for their safety, the merchants declared they would cease coordination.

Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj. Gen. Yoram Levy, sent an urgent letter to senior international officials warning that Hamas is exploiting the entry of goods for its economic and military buildup. The private sector accounts for approximately 50% of the weekly truckloads entering Gaza, and the halt jeopardizes Israel's ability to meet the ceasefire agreement's target of 600 trucks per day. COGAT assured that humanitarian aid deliveries via international organizations will continue, estimating that 250 aid trucks daily are sufficient to meet Gaza's humanitarian needs.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 7 newsrooms. Updated 14:37