Report: Israel lets commercial traders bring ‘dual-use’ goods into Gaza barred to aid groups

Israel is operating a parallel import system into Gaza that allows commercial traders to bring in goods barred to humanitarian organizations, including items classified by Israel as “dual-use,” The Guardian reports, citing military, diplomatic and humanitarian sources.

Lifesaving items – such as medical and shelter equipment – appear on an Israeli blacklist of dual-use items, which the government says must be tightly restricted because they could be exploited and weaponized by Hamas or other terror groups in the Strip.

Despite this, Israeli authorities have for at least a month reportedly allowed private businesses to import several dual-use goods – including generators and metal pallets – through the same checkpoints that currently block such items for aid groups, the Guardian claims.

The equipment is now being sold openly in Gaza markets, according to the news outlet.

“It seems highly improbable that the Israelis don’t know about them,” one diplomatic source told the Guardian. “It’s very shocking that these things are able to enter through commercial channels.”

The IDF does not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

The report comes amid mounting pressure on humanitarian operations in Gaza. Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry announced this week that the licenses of 37 international nonprofits operating in Gaza and the West Bank would expire today, after the groups failed to meet new registration requirements. The ministry said the rules are intended to prevent ties to terror groups, while the Defense Ministry insisted the move would not affect aid delivery.