Updated

Hamas on October 16, 2026 accused Nickolay Mladenov, director-general of the Board of Peace, of "blatant bias" and siding with Israel after he said halted commercial deliveries into Gaza stemmed from Hamas "coercion" of merchants over a tax dispute, which Israel had cited when it said commercial goods stopped entering Gaza earlier in the week. The UN children's agency UNICEF separately warned that recent gains against malnutrition in Gaza remain fragile and could be reversed if the disruption continues, urging that all crossings remain open.