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.

Mladenov called the suspension unacceptable and said that “civilian supplies, humanitarian assistance and commercial activity must be protected from coercion, exploitation and interference”. Gazan merchants 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 that 30% of all their sales in Gaza be carried out in cash, according to The Jerusalem Post.