Israel halts commercial goods entering Gaza as winter approaches

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 12:32 · Archive

Israel has announced that commercial goods will no longer enter Gaza, cutting off a key food and shelter supply source.

Israel has announced a suspension of commercial goods entering Gaza, a move that will immediately reduce supplies to the war-torn territory as Palestinians face the approach of winter. COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, announced the suspension on Wednesday. The move stands to have an immediate impact because Gaza is completely reliant on whatever goods Israel allows in through border crossings.

COGAT claimed to be communicating a decision made by local Gaza merchants who had grown tired of Hamas taxing their trucks and threatening them. However, Palestinians refuted this claim. Israel has long accused Hamas of levying fees on imports to fund its operations.

Humanitarian workers expressed concerns about affordability, saying that a combination of aid and a robust commercial market is needed to keep prices under control. Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said: 'The humanitarian sector on its own cannot meet the needs of all the people. The markets need to be functioning.' Food insecurity experts reported earlier this year that conditions in Gaza had improved since famine was declared in August 2025, but remained at crisis levels, with most families not getting nearly enough to eat. They warned that 'even small disruptions to humanitarian access could rapidly reverse recent gains'.

How it is being reported

• Israel says commercial goods will not enter Gaza, a major shutoff for the hungry territoryIsrael has announced that commercial goods will no longer enter the Gaza Strip, cutting off a key source of food and shelter supplies.Clickorlando · 15 Oct, 12:01
• Israel says commercial goods will not enter Gaza, a major shutoff for the hungry territoryIsrael has announced that commercial goods will no longer enter the Gaza Strip, cutting off a key source of food and shelter supplies.News4Jax · 15 Oct, 12:01

In this story: Israel · Gaza · COGAT · Hamas · Norwegian Refugee Council · Shaina Low

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem