Exclusive: Relative of Abbas heir and the millions smuggled to Gaza

This was arguably one of the most serious smuggling operations of goods into Gaza, with the scale of smuggling so large, as were the profits for the defendants and even for Hamas directly. How enormous? Just before those involved were arrested in February 2026, they had planned to smuggle goods worth 200 million shekels ($66 million) on a single truck.

This smuggling network involved Palestinians from the West Bank, traders from Gaza, Egyptian citizens, and also soldiers from a certain battalion whose name cannot be mentioned. One of the central figures in the affair is a resident of Ramallah named Jamal al-Sheikh, a member of a prominent Palestinian family. His uncle is Hussein al-Sheikh, is the deputy chairman of the Palestinian Authority, who has been declared as the successor of Mahmoud Abbas.

Jamal manages the family's business operations in the Ramallah area. In February 2025, a smuggling route began operating through him. "Abu Mohammed," an Egyptian resident who is close to the al-Sheikh family, asked him to smuggle 10 pallets of chocolate products to his son, who lives in Gaza. These shipments continued, but in June 2025 the nature of the smuggling changed to prohibited items, including dual-use products.

Mohammed who lived in Gaza then began requesting solar panels, car batteries, tobacco, electric bicycles, cell phones, car parts, and more.

Al-Sheikh transported the goods using an Israeli Arab from Daburiyya, while soldiers from a certain battalion assisted in smuggling them into Gaza. Immediately afterwards, another smuggling operation was carried out, involving mobile phones, electric bicycles, cigarettes, drills, portable gas, and gas canisters. Al-Sheikh bought the goods for two million shekels ($667,000) and managed to smuggle them into Gaza.

However, this time there was a shocking escalation. That same Mohammed asked al-Sheikh to buy steel pellets for him. How many pellets? As many as he could possibly get. What kind of steel pellets? A specific type used for horseshoes.

Al-Sheikh called a shop in Dahariya, near Hebron, and ordered all 20,000 pellets that were in stock. They cost him 27,000 shekels ($9,000). For how much did Al-Sheikh sell them to Mohammed? 37,000 shekels ($12,000). Almost no profit. For how much were the pellets sold inside Gaza? Two million shekels ($667,000).

Moving forward to October 2025, Mohammed asks Jamal Al-Sheikh to sell him cigarettes, tobacco, batteries, solar panels, mobile phones, electric bicycles, communication cables, and more. The shipment, according to the claim, did not reach its destination.

Al-Sheikh was supposed to receive 3.5 million shekels ($1.1 million) for this smuggling operation. Al-Sheikh explained to his partners why the goods were stolen: because they were not coordinated with Hamas and the merchants did not pay Hamas the tax owed to the terrorist organization - 20%.

In December 2025, al-Sheikh continued to smuggle prohibited goods, as Mohammed introduced him to another Gaza merchant living in Egypt. This time, it was a smuggling operation of an unprecedented scale.

Al-Sheikh paid suppliers 10 million shekels ($3 million), for the goods he intended to continue selling to Gaza. This smuggling operation did not go ahead only because the Shin Bet began to disrupt the smuggling route.

Subsequently, al-Sheikh used these millions of shekels to smuggle cigarettes on a massive scale along with other dealers. To understand the scope of the profit, each box of cigarettes was sold for 1,500 shekels ($500). In other words, each cigarette for 75 shekels, or just $20 per cigarette.

The group's ambitions continued to grow. In February, they planned to smuggle goods estimated to be worth 200 million shekels ($66 million) in Gaza. What was on the menu? Over 500 pallets of cigarettes, 500 iPhone 17 Pro Max devices that had just hit the market, and 30 cellular panels.

Al-Sheikh was afraid of being caught, but the Gaza merchant who lives in the Gaza Strip reassured him, "My son is an IDF soldier in a certain battalion whose name cannot be disclosed. He is at the border crossing and will help bring in the goods." The shipment never took place, and shortly afterward Al-Sheikh was arrested by the Shin Bet.

The indictment against al-Sheikh also includes an unrelated firearms charge. According to the indictment, beginning in October 2025, he possessed a Glock pistol and a compatible magazine.

The indictment does not specify how al-Sheikh obtained it. According to the report, investigators allege that the illegal pistol was provided by his uncle, Hussein al-Sheikh, the deputy to Mahmoud Abbas and his designated successor. Jamal reportedly admitted this during his Shin Bet interrogation.

According to the report, Jamal told investigators, "The Palestinian Authority confiscated a weapon from someone I don't know. Because we're close to the Palestinian Authority—my uncle is Hussein al-Sheikh—they gave us the weapon. The person who gave me the weapon was the chief of staff of my uncle Hussein."