The Israeli Public Prosecution today, Wednesday, filed indictments against 12 Israeli suspects, including reserve soldiers, on charges related to 'aiding the enemy in wartime,' amid suspicions of smuggling prohibited goods into the Gaza Strip. The Ministry of Justice clarified in a statement that the value of the smuggled goods amounted to millions of Israeli shekels, and included cigarette cartons, iPhones, batteries, communication cables, and car parts, describing the operation as an organized and systematic smuggling case.
Sources reported that Betzalel Zini, brother of Shin Bet head David Zini, is among those suspected of involvement in smuggling cigarettes into Gaza in exchange for huge sums of money. According to investigations, the money Zini earned amounts to millions of shekels, exploiting the sharp rise in cigarette prices within the besieged Strip, where the price of a single pack reached more than $530.
The threads of the case began about a month and a half ago, when soldiers stationed in the Gaza Strip seized a suspicious truck containing dozens of phones, drones, batteries, and electrical equipment not permitted to enter. The police took over the investigation with Betzalel Zini instead of the Shin Bet due to his kinship with the head of the agency, while the accused denied his involvement in smuggling, claiming that his job was only to inspect trucks.
For his part, Rabbi Yosef Zini, the father of the Shin Bet head, defended his son Betzalel, considering the case 'fabricated' and aiming to oust his brother David from his position. In a related context, sources quoted investigators as saying that Zini was precisely aware of the goods passing through checkpoints and ignored smuggling in exchange for financial bribes.
It is worth noting that Betzalel Zini holds the position of director of an engineering unit called 'Oriya,' a squad that was active during the current war in extensive destruction operations within the Gaza Strip. The case sparked widespread reactions in Israeli circles, with some considering it 'treason in wartime,' while politicians like Eisenkot believed that these charges do not warrant the resignation of the Shin Bet head from his position.
It is a serious case of organized, systematic, and elaborate smuggling of various goods into the Gaza Strip with the aim of making profits.
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Brother of Shin Bet Head Accused of Smuggling Goods to Gaza, Making Millions