Commercial Goods Halted to Gaza, Raising Shortage Concerns

• No commercial goods have entered Gaza for two days, according to Israeli authorities.
• Israel claims the halt is due to a dispute over taxes between local merchants and Hamas.
• Merchants in Gaza coordinate directly with vendors outside the territory, whose shipments are examined by Israel's military.
• The Ministry had been asking merchants to pay 10,000 shekels (about $3,226) per truck entering Gaza, the head of private truckers union said.
• The population in Gaza is dependent on aid and the halt could lead to worsening shortages.