Shin Bet chief’s brother charged with ‘assisting enemy’ over cigarette smuggling in Gaza

Bezalel Zini, the brother of Israel's Shin Bet chief David Zini, has been charged with "assisting the enemy in wartime" for allegedly smuggling cigarettes and other goods into Gaza during the Israeli blockade. Bezalel Zini is accused of smuggling approximately 14 cartons of cigarettes into Gaza on three separate trips, receiving around $120,000. He and more than 10 others are accused of smuggling items like iPhones, batteries, and car parts, which allegedly funneled hundreds of millions of shekels to Hamas. The justice ministry accuses the defendants of assisting the enemy, performing transactions for terrorist purposes, fraud, and bribery. Zini's lawyers deny the charges, arguing the case involves only cigarettes and not aiding terrorism.

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