Israel charges 12 people, including soldiers, with smuggling goods into Gaza

Israel’s Ministry of Justice said on Wednesday that it has charged 12 people, including Israeli soldiers, with systematically smuggling goods worth hundreds of thousands of US dollars into Gaza, according to a statement from the Israeli Attorney General.

The indictment said that some of the accused, including army reservists, smuggled cigarettes, iPhones and batteries into Gaza and were also charged with “aiding the enemy during wartime”.

The statement said the suspects acted while knowing that the goods could reach Hamas and its members.

It also linked the brother of the head of Israel’s internal security service (Shabak, also known as Shin Bet) to the smuggling network, although the agency chief’s name was not among those charged.

In recent weeks, local media have reported that Israeli officials suspect smuggling operations into Gaza are continuing, involving active-duty soldiers, reservists and other individuals.

It is still unclear how the goods were brought into the Gaza Strip.

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