Israel said Monday it would gradually reopen a vital commercial supply route into the war-battered Gaza Strip after a dayslong suspension, even as fresh Israeli strikes killed at least five Palestinians and the blockaded enclave's population continued to struggle with severe shortages of essential goods.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, said the decision followed reports from merchants that Hamas authorities had withdrawn demands for payments of 10,000 shekels ($3,225) per truck.
The agency acknowledged that the merchants' accounts had not been independently verified but said shipments would resume gradually, with priority given to food and other essential supplies ahead of winter.
Gaza's Government Media Office on Thursday rejected allegations that it imposes taxes or fees on commercial trucks entering the enclave, accusing Israel of using the claims to justify restrictions on goods and calling for the daily entry of 600 trucks.
Israeli authorities also announced tighter financial oversight, requiring payments to be made through documented bank transfers. Merchants found to have paid Hamas would be excluded from the commercial shipment system.
Hamas rejected the characterization of the payments as mandatory fees, saying the 10,000-shekel contributions were voluntary donations from financially better-off Palestinians to a national fund supporting vulnerable families in the war-ravaged territory.
The decision comes amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where much of the population remains dependent on aid after three years of genocidal Israeli attacks, repeated displacement and severe restrictions on the entry of food, medicine and other necessities.
Although a U.S.-brokered cease-fire reached in October 2025 halted the heaviest fighting, Israeli forces have continued carrying out deadly attacks across the besieged Palestinian territory.
Palestinian health officials said at least five Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed Monday in separate Israeli strikes in Gaza City and Khan Younis.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the latest killings.
According to Gaza health authorities, approximately 1,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the October 2025 cease-fire. Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed by Palestinian resistance fighters in Gaza during the same period.
Despite the cease-fire, Palestinians continue to face deadly Israeli attacks, widespread destruction and severe humanitarian hardship, with access to food and other basic necessities remaining heavily dependent on Israeli-controlled supply routes.
