Mladenov receives COGAT letter, says suspension of private sector goods into Gaza is 'unacceptable'

“Civilian supplies, humanitarian assistance and commercial activity must be protected from coercion, exploitation and interference,” Mladenov said.

Nickolay Mladenov, director-general of the Peace Council, said on Thursday that he had received a letter from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) informing him of the suspension of coordination for private-sector goods entering Gaza following reports of threats and coercion by Hamas.

In a post on X/Twitter, Mladenov condemned the reported intimidation of merchants and interference with commercial supply chains.

“As I have warned repeatedly, such practices are unacceptable and must end immediately. The intimidation of merchants and interference in the supply chain only deepen the suffering of Gaza's civilians,” Mladenov posted.

He stressed the urgent need to establish new governance and security arrangements in the Gaza Strip.

“These developments demonstrate why the rapid deployment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) supported by the International Stabilization Force (ISF), is urgently needed,” he wrote.

“Civilian supplies, humanitarian assistance and commercial activity must be protected from coercion, exploitation and interference,” Mladenov added.

He called on all parties to work with the Board of Peace to implement US President Donald Trump's comprehensive peace plan for Gaza, endorsed by the UN Security Council in Resolution 2803, without delay.

Mladenov emphasized the need to move forward with the arrangements required for NCAG and ISF operations in Gaza.

“This includes the decommissioning of weapons, the transition to legitimate transitional governance and the protection of humanitarian and commercial supply chains,” he concluded.

Commercial goods banned from entering Gaza over tax dispute between local merchants and Hamas

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, which 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 acute cash shortage in the war-torn territory.

Nahed Shhaibar, the head of the private transport union in Gaza, said that not a single truck carrying commercial products from Israel entered Gaza on Thursday. However, he said trucks carrying humanitarian aid had entered, as had trucks carrying commercial goods from Egypt via an Israeli-controlled crossing.

COGAT said the decision by Gazan merchants would cut the total number of trucks, which carry both humanitarian and commercial goods, entering Gaza each day to around 300, or half.

Diplomats say that far fewer than 600 trucks normally enter Gaza each day. Shhaibar said the figure was closer to 300, with two-thirds carrying commercial goods.

Israel is obliged under a US-mediated agreement to allow a minimum of 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza each day. However, it says it is required to allow only 600 trucks and that commercial goods are needed to supplement aid supplies.