Smuggling scandal surrounding security chief's family sheds light on illicit Gaza trade

Last week’s indictment of the brother of Israel’s domestic security chief has drawn attention to what authorities describe as a vast tobacco smuggling network operating into the Gaza Strip — a trade officials say has grown significantly during nearly two years of war.

Law enforcement agencies arrested Bezalel Zini, the brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, along with 14 other suspects in what police characterized as a large-scale operation targeting an alleged smuggling ring moving illegal goods into Gaza, as Israeli media reports.

According to Israeli media reports, Zini was detained as part of what officials called a “systematic and sophisticated” effort to smuggle cigarettes into the enclave for profit.

Prosecutors allege in an indictment that Zini smuggled 14 crates of cigarettes into Gaza, receiving approximately 365,000 shekels (approx. $117,000). The remaining suspects are accused of trafficking mobile phones, car parts and other goods.

The indictment says the network included Israeli reservists as well as Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza. Investigators allege the supply chain began with suppliers in the West Bank, passed through Israeli warehouses, and ultimately reached Gaza via Israeli military convoys — in some cases during operational activity.

Yigal Wynne, CEO of Israel’s Federation for Intellectual Property and the Fight Against Illegal Trade, said efforts to smuggle cigarettes into Israel and onward to Gaza have surged amid a sharp rise in truck traffic entering the territory. He estimated that dozens of trucks carrying cigarettes, loose tobacco, hookah tobacco and e-cigarettes reach Gaza each month, often routed through the West Bank or areas under Palestinian Authority control, where shipments are stored and reorganized before being moved onward.

Wynne said the trade’s profitability makes it especially appealing to criminal and militant groups. A single container of cigarettes purchased for around $100,000 can reportedly fetch up to $10 million once sold in Gaza. Cigarettes sourced from Egypt or manufactured in the West Bank — including brands such as Capital and Imperial — are sold at markups of up to 80%, generating substantial cash revenues while carrying what he described as lower legal risks compared to trafficking in drugs or weapons.

The Shin Bet warned that such activities “poses a significant threat to the security of the State of Israel.”

The agency said the alleged operations that Zini is detained over directly bolstered Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.

“They assist Hamas’s survivability and governance through profits from goods entering the Strip, contribute to Hamas’s empowerment and military build-up, and help refurbish its military production capabilities,” the statement said.

“They also create potential routes for smuggling weapons, technology, and equipment, as well as channels that could be used for offensive military activity against Israel and its forces.”

Bezalel Zini faces charges that include bribery and assisting the enemy during wartime. His lawyer has said he denies the allegations.

Authorities emphasized that there is no evidence linking the accusations against Bezalel Zini to his brother, David Zini. Due to the family connection, the investigation into Bezalel was handled by Israeli police rather than the Shin Bet, while the cases against the other defendants were pursued through a joint probe by the Shin Bet and Israel Police.

By Nazrin Sadigova