Since October 11, Israel has stopped processing requests from Gaza-based traders to import food, according to multiple sources involved in the trade, significantly reducing the flow of provisions to the besieged Palestinian enclave. For the past six months, the now-disrupted system, overseen by Cogat, the Israeli agency managing aid and commercial shipments, supplied more than half of Gaza's food. Traders from both Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank have reported being unable to contact Cogat for approvals since the halt.

This disruption has pushed the flow of goods to its lowest level since the start of the ongoing conflict, with daily shipments to Gaza falling dramatically. According to Cogat’s official data, the average number of trucks delivering goods between October 1 and 16 dropped to 29 per day, down from the previous daily average of 175. Of those trucks, more than half had previously carried commercial goods purchased by local traders and sold in Gaza's marketplaces.

The sudden halt of commercial shipments, according to sources, may be linked to Israel's concern that revenues from these imports were benefitting Hamas, a claim the group has denied, stating that they are focusing on ensuring the fair distribution of aid in Gaza.

The crisis has sparked severe shortages of fresh produce in Gaza, with skyrocketing prices. A kilo of onions, for instance, is reported to cost $15. Gaza residents, traders, and humanitarian workers have confirmed the increasingly desperate situation. Israel has acknowledged challenges in the supply chain but asserts that it continues to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries where possible.

Before the war, approximately 500 trucks per day entered Gaza, but the current situation has reduced commercial imports to a trickle, and the United Nations has warned that food insecurity could worsen. Humanitarian aid, already restricted, has also been hampered by ongoing military operations, adding to the dire circumstances for Gaza's 2.3 million residents.