From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Brother of Shin Bet chief indicted for assisting enemy during wartime over Gaza smuggling
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State prosecutors indict Bezalel Zini, the brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, and two other defendants on charges of trafficking cigarettes into the Gaza Strip as part of a far-reaching smuggling ring.
All three are indicted on charges of assisting the enemy during wartime, fraud and bribery, in addition to offenses under Israel’s counterterrorism laws.
Zini, an IDF reservist who headed logistics for the Uriah Force, which worked to demolish buildings in Gaza, is suspected of abusing his access to the enclave to smuggle 14 crates of cigarettes from Israel into Gaza on three occasions, earning a total of NIS 365,000 (approximately $117,450).
He is indicted in the Beersheba District Court alongside Aviel Ben David, another reservist in the Uriah Force, and Ben David’s acquaintance Amir Dov Halperin, both of whom allegedly smuggled cigarettes into the Strip on five occasions.
A further 13 suspects are expected to be indicted in the coming days.
David Zini is not suspected of any wrongdoing in the case. The case is being investigated by the Israel Police, instead of the Shin Bet, due to the agency chief’s ties to the suspect.
Israel has banned the entry of cigarettes and other tobacco products into Gaza during the war, with officials saying that such products, when smuggled illegally, are sold for high prices on the black market and heavily taxed by Hamas.
The Times of Israel Community.