Israel said commercial goods were no longer entering Gaza over what it said was a dispute over taxes between local merchants and Hamas, shutting off a vital source of food and other goods in the territory where the population is dependent on aid. COGAT, the Israeli military body that oversees humanitarian affairs in Gaza, made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday, citing what it said was a decision by Gazan merchants to stop coordinating with COGAT on the entry of commercial goods. It said the Gazan merchants had told COGAT that they had made the decision in response to a 10,000 shekel ($3,220) fee imposed by Hamas on each truck entering Gaza and a demand for 30% of all of their sales in Gaza to be carried out in cash. Hamas later said that the 10,000 shekel fee was a voluntary payment by wealthy Gazans to a national fund that seeks to provide for those in need such as widows and orphans. It also said that cash payments were encouraged due to what it described as an acu...
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