Israeli authorities probing whether foreign personnel stationed at US-run base in southern Israel helped Gaza smuggling ring.

By World Israel News Staff

Foreign military personnel serving at an American military facility in southern Israel may have been bribed by smuggling rings to facilitate the unauthorized entry of goods into the Gaza Strip, according to a report by i24NEWS published Tuesday night.

Earlier this month, prosecutors filed indictments against members of a smuggling ring accused of illegally transferring various goods into the Gaza Strip for profit.

The ring included Gazan and Israeli civilians, as well as IDF reservists who took advantage of their position in Gaza to smuggle goods into the coastal enclave.

Among the 12 suspects indicted this month is Bezalel Zini, the brother of David Zini, the new chief of the Shin Bet security agency.

According to the charge sheet filed by the State Attorney’s Office, the smuggling efforts benefited the Hamas terrorist organization, in particular through the entry of cigarettes and tobacco, which ended up under Hamas control and were sold to raise money for the group.

The indictments accused the 12 suspects of smuggling at least 3.9 million shekels ($1.26 million) worth of goods to the Gaza Strip, including cellphones, batteries, car parts, cigarettes, and tobacco.

Israeli authorities reportedly suspect that, in addition to the smuggling ring that used IDF reservists to smuggle goods, established crime syndicates may have established a separate smuggling route, bribing foreign personnel serving at the US-run Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat to help the criminal organizations illegally transfer goods to contacts inside the Gaza Strip.

The CMCC, housing some 200 American service members and hundreds of other foreign personnel, is responsible for coordinating the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

France, Germany, and Britain have all deployed personnel to the CMCC, assisting in logistical operations.

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IDF denies accusations it is spying on US base established inside Israel to observe the Gaza ceasefire after US commander demands IDF stop monitoring the facility.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s military on Monday denied claims it is spying on American and allied forces operating inside Israeli territory as part of the mechanism to ensure compliance with the October ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

A report by the Guardian claims that staffers assigned to the American-run Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in southern Israel have raised concerns about Israeli officials recording operations inside the facility.

Established in October by the US Central Command to coordinate the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and to track ceasefire violations in the coastal enclave, the CMCC is located in the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, some 14 miles from the Gaza frontier.

While the US military refused to comment on the claims, the report said that the American commander of the CMCC, Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, had confronted an Israeli liaison officer over the issue, summoning him to a meeting during which he told the officer that the “recording has to stop here.”

The IDF responded with a statement denying that any espionage had taken place at the CMCC, adding that while the Israeli military “documents” meetings in which its representatives take part at the base, it is done with American consent.

“The IDF documents and summarizes meetings in which it is present through protocols, as any professional organization of this nature does in a transparent and agreed-upon manner.”

“The claim that the IDF is gathering intelligence on its partners in meetings which the IDF is an active participant is absurd.”

Israel did not comment on Lt. Gen. Frank’s alleged comments to the Israeli liaison officer.

An American official cited in the report emphasized that the CMCC works in cooperation with Israel, with the IDF having final say on the flow of aid into Gaza.

“We didn’t take over [aid],” the official told The Guardian on condition of anonymity. “It is an integration. It is hand in glove. They remain the hand, and the CMCC have become the glove over that hand.”

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1,500-year-old Byzantine monastery, featuring mosaic with Greek inscription of a verse from the Book of Deuteronomy, discovered near Kiryat Gat.

By World Israel News Staff

An ancient Christian monastery, dating back to the Byzantine period, was discovered in southern Israel recently, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday morning.

During excavations north of Kiryat Gat, conducted ahead of plans to build a new neighborhood, IAA teams discovered a colorful monastery floor, along with a Greek inscription of a biblical verse.

The excavation revealed the remains of at least ten buildings, including the monastery, the winepress and a large warehouse building.

The monastery is dated to the Byzantine period (5th-6th centuries CE), and it is part of an ancient site that already existed during the Roman period and continued for approximately 600 years.

The findings revealed in the monastery and its environs include a great quantity of imported ware, coins, marble elements, metal and glass vessels, all attesting to the rich and significant community living here.

The monastery’s mosaic floor features crosses, lions, doves, an amphora (a ceramic maritime shipping jug), flowers and geometric patterns.

In its center, the ancient inscription in Greek was set — “Blessed are you when you come in, and blessed are you when you go out” (Deuteronomy 28:6). The mosaic’s geometric patterns incorporate very small mosaic stones, which served to highlight the cross-shaped decorations.

In addition to the monastery, a very sophisticated wine press was also uncovered, which was built and repaired several times over the years.

The mosaic flooring of the fermentation rooms and the collecting vat integrated blue and white stones. In the plastered surfaces of the collecting vats you can see remnants of red paint.

The northern collecting vat floor is built of slabs, upon some of which can be still be seen Greek letters, which served as masonry marks for the winepress builders.

All of these features indicate that building and developing this winery involved significant financial resources, time, and a range of professional work and effort.

According to Shira Lifshitz and Maayan Margulis, excavation managers on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The early settlement is sited on a central road junction connecting the mountain region to the coastal plain.”

“It apparently served the area’s smaller settlements as well as travelers passing by. This is the largest and most significant Roman and Byzantine period site uncovered in this area. The findings indicate a succession of settlement starting from the early Roman period (1st century CE) and through until the end of the Byzantine period (end of the 6th century CE).”

The Roman period settlement remains are more limited, but even they display richness in the variety and quality of the finds.

In the Byzantine period one can see the settlement’s significant expansion, which included the construction of the monastery and the winepress.

In addition, there is much evidence of local pottery production, such as detritus typical of a ceramic factory, garbage pits, misshapen vessels that were flawed in production, and even a number of vessels unique to this site.

“The discovery of the site highlights the historical richness of Kiryat Gat and its surroundings, shedding light on the centrality of the region in antiquity,” said Svetlana Talis, Director of the Southern Region at the Israel Antiquities Authority.

“The mosaic floor will be relocated to an open area in the city and made accessible to the public.”

“The mosaic discovered in Kiryat Gat is one of the most unique ever found in Israel,” adds Mark Avrahami, Head of Artistic Conservation at the Israel Antiquities Authority.

“Transferring mosaics is a complex process that requires great skill and precision. Soon, the ancient mosaic will be moved to the Israel Antiquities Authority’s mosaic workshop for preservation before being displayed in the city.”

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