COGAT Urges International Action as Gaza Merchants Suspend Shipment Coordination

Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevi, head of COGAT, urged international officials on October 14 to address Hamas interference after private Gaza merchants suspended coordination of commercial shipments. His letter said merchants reported threats, demands for about NIS 10,000 per truck and instructions to sell roughly 30% of goods for cash instead of the required bank transfers. Halevi warned that the disruption could obstruct the ceasefire arrangement's daily target of 600 trucks. COGAT said humanitarian shipments from the UN, international organizations and donor countries would continue, including winter supplies.