Israeli intelligence chief's brother charged with smuggling cigarettes into Gaza

1 hour agoJoel GunterJerusalemNurPhoto via Getty ImagesA Palestinian man sells cigarettes in central Gaza (file photo)Israeli prosecutors have charged the brother of the head of the country's intelligence agency, Shin Bet, with "aiding the enemy in wartime" by allegedly smuggling cigarettes into Gaza.An indictment against Bezalel Zini published on Thursday argues he was aware that Hamas might profit from the resale of cigarettes and tobacco at inflated prices.Zini, 50, a reservist on active duty in the Israeli military, is said to have smuggled 14 cartons of cigarettes - 7,000 individual packets - in exchange for a total of 365,000 shekels ($117,000; £86,000).His brother, the recently appointed Shin Bet chief David Zini, is not suspected of any wrongdoing.Israel has tightly controlled the flow of humanitarian aid and other goods into Gaza during the conflict with Hamas.The charges are part of a wider set of indictments against more than a dozen individuals, alleging that an organised crime ring smuggled brand new, top-end iPhones, car parts, and other electronics into Gaza.The sale of smuggled tobacco and cigarettes alone put "hundreds of millions of shekels into Hamas's coffers since the start of the war", the indictment alleges.Prosecutors say the smuggling operation began in the summer of 2025, before the ceasefire in October, when the fighting was still raging in the strip.They say the smugglers pretended they were entering Gaza as part of their military duties, misleading Israeli soldiers on the border crossing points.The indictment against Bezalel Zini also accuses him of fraud, receiving a bribe, and tax offences. He was arrested two weeks ago along with two alleged accomplices, who were also charged with smuggling.Zini's defence lawyers said their client denied the charges, according to Israel's Haaretz newspaper, arguing that the application of a terrorism law was not appropriate for the alleged smuggling of cigarettes."Regarding the offence of aiding the enemy during wartime, it is a complete inversion of reality. This is someone who has given everything and risked his life for the state," the paper quoted one of his lawyers as saying.