The Israeli authorities have arrested 12 suspects over their alleged involvement in contravening laws through illicit drug trafficking in Israel.
The authorities arrested the alleged violators which include military reservists over their alleged involvement in an unlawful trafficking network accused of moving prohibited items into the Gaza Strip during wartime.
Investigators said the suspects worked as part of an organized operation that exploited access routes and security clearances to smuggle restricted goods into Gaza for financial gain. The items were allegedly moved covertly despite strict controls imposed by Israel on the flow of people and materials into the territory.
The alleged operation reportedly began in the summer of 2025, while active hostilities were ongoing, and continued until security agencies uncovered the scheme following intelligence-led investigations and coordinated arrests.
The arrests and subsequent indictments were carried out in Israel’s southern district, with authorities confirming that some of those involved were Israeli citizens, while others were residents of the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Israel’s justice ministry said the goods trafficked were valued at several million shekels and included cigarettes, mobile phones, batteries, communication equipment, car parts and other restricted items. The ministry described the case as “a serious, organized and systematic smuggling operation carried out in a sophisticated manner for profit.”
A joint statement by the Israeli police and the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency said those arrested “knowingly ignored the direct impact of their actions on strengthening terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip,” specifically Hamas. Prosecutors added that the suspects face multiple charges, including assisting the enemy in wartime, financing terrorist activity through property-related offences, aggravated fraud, bribery and other economic crimes.
Israeli media reports also alleged that Bezalel Zini, the brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, was linked to the smuggling of cigarettes into Gaza and is expected to be formally charged in a related development.
Authorities said investigations are ongoing, warning that anyone found exploiting wartime conditions for personal gain or undermining national security would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
