Shin Bet employee indicted for Gaza smuggling

Fifteen people, including army reservists, are accused of abusing their positions to smuggle large quantities of items such as cigarettes and tobacco.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) confirmed that one of its employees was among several Israelis indicted on Thursday for their involvement in a sophisticated smuggling operation that funneled cigarettes and other prohibited goods into the Gaza Strip during the war.

“Following a joint investigation by the General Security Service and the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 Special Investigation Unit, the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment in the Lod District Court today (Thursday) against several Israeli citizens, including a Shin Bet employee and a Palestinian, for the offenses of aiding the enemy in war, receiving something by fraud under aggravated circumstances, prohibiting the use of property for terrorist purposes, taking a bribe, giving a bribe, deceit, fraud, and dealing in prohibited property,” the Shin Bet and Israel Police announced.

“As part of the investigation, it emerged that the defendants smuggled goods to the Gaza Strip in exchange for receiving large sums of money,” they added.

The case has already drawn particular attention because one suspect already indicted is Bezalel Zini, the brother of Shin Bet director David Zini.

David Zini is not suspected of any wrongdoing. The investigation is being handled by the Israel Police rather than the Shin Bet to avoid a conflict of interest.

Fifteen people, including army reservists, are accused of abusing their positions to smuggle large quantities of items such as cigarettes and tobacco, as well as iPhones, batteries, telecommunications cables, vehicle parts, medical equipment, and solar system components.

Some of the goods are classified by Israel as “dual-use,” meaning they could be repurposed for military or terrorist activities.

Israeli authorities have banned cigarettes and other tobacco products from entering Gaza during the war, citing high black-market prices and heavy taxation by Hamas.

Prosecutors said tobacco smuggling has generated enormous revenue for the terror group.

Investigators said the network coordinated purchases and prices in advance, repackaged and concealed goods, and transported them along predetermined routes.

At the peak of activity between August and December, individual transactions reportedly ranged from hundreds of thousands to several million shekels.

In one instance, nearly four million shekels were reportedly paid for a single shipment of cigarettes.

The indictments allege the group smuggled goods worth millions of shekels into Gaza both while fighting was ongoing and after a ceasefire took effect.

The smuggling chain was uncovered in mid-December after Israeli forces seized a truck carrying technological equipment and mobile phones inside Gaza and arrested a local driver.

As The Press Service of Israel has previously reported, Hamas has managed to maintain its grip on Gaza by stealing and taxing humanitarian aid.

Israel and Egypt have maintained restrictions on Gaza to prevent weapons smuggling since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.