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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
UNICEF says it’s probing Israeli allegations of smuggling inside Gaza aid shipments
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe UN’s children agency says it is probing alleged smuggling via its Gaza-bound aid shipments after Israel said it found contraband tobacco and nicotine products in UNICEF shipments.
“UNICEF was informed by Israeli authorities that tobacco and nicotine bottles were found inside a consignment of UNICEF hygiene kits being transported into Gaza by a commercial carrier… As soon as UNICEF was informed, a full internal investigation was launched into the case,” UNICEF says in a statement.
“Despite the preventive measures we have in place, attempts to smuggle such items into shipments from humanitarian agencies do occasionally occur,” the statement says, adding that the agency has a “zero-tolerance policy” regarding smuggling.
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