Zini, along with others, was charged with aiding the enemy during wartime, prohibited dealings in property for terror purposes, obtaining something by aggravated fraud, and accepting bribes.
Bezalel Zini, brother of Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) Chief David Zini, was indicted on Thursday for his role in the organization smuggling goods into Gaza.
Zini, along with other defendants, was charged with aiding the enemy during wartime, prohibited dealings in property for terror purposes, obtaining something by aggravated fraud, and accepting bribes.
According to the indictment, Zini was approached by one of his soldiers during his time as commander in the IDF sometime in August, 2025. He was offered and allegedly accepted a bribe, allowing for goods to be illegally smuggled into the Gaza Strip.
Zini went on to participate in three separate smuggling operations, during which he allegedly made a profit of approximately NIS 365,000.
Israeli Authorities Probe Large-Scale Smuggling Network Moving Goods Into Gaza (credit: TPS-IL)
Cigarettes smuggled into Gaza by Zini led to millions for Hamas
Prosecutors say the operation revolved primarily around the smuggling of tobacco products and cigarettes, but also included other items such as mobile phones, batteries, vehicle parts, communication cables, heating and electrical equipment, and additional supplies. Zini’s smuggling consisted of only cigarettes and tobacco.
The indictments describe cigarettes as a particularly profitable commodity, alleging that the movement of tobacco into Gaza generated hundreds of millions of shekels for Hamas since the start of the war in a way that prosecutors say aided it financially and in its control over the population.
Sarah Ben-Nun and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
This is a developing story.