Additional IDF soldiers indicted over large-scale smuggling operation into Gaza
The operation reportedly generated between 6.5 and 7 million shekels ($2.3 million)
Israel’s military prosecution has filed three additional indictments against four defendants, including an officer, a non-commissioned officer, and two soldiers, over alleged large-scale smuggling operations into Gaza.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the suspects are accused of trafficking cigarettes and other goods into the enclave, generating millions of shekels in profits. Charges include aiding the enemy, accepting bribes, aggravated smuggling, and tax-related offenses.
The indictments follow a joint investigation by the Shin Bet, the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, and Israeli tax and customs authorities.
Prosecutors allege that one group of defendants, led by a company commander, carried out frequent smuggling operations between early 2024 and the end of that year, moving hundreds of cartons of cigarettes into Gaza several times a week. The operation reportedly generated between 6.5 and 7 million ($2.3 million) shekels.
Two of the accused had already been convicted earlier this year in a separate smuggling case and were demoted in rank. New evidence uncovered during ongoing investigations led to the latest charges, which relate to earlier alleged activities.
A second indictment targets a reservist accused of participating in at least eight smuggling operations involving cigarettes and nicotine products, earning hundreds of thousands of shekels.
In a separate case, another officer is accused of initiating and participating in multiple smuggling operations in 2025, including transporting prohibited goods such as cigarettes, a motorcycle, and a mobile phone into Gaza. He is also charged with fraud and breach of trust in connection with an incident in which he allegedly helped extract a civilian from Gaza while concealing the circumstances.
Authorities said arrests and detentions in the case are ongoing, with some suspects held pending further legal proceedings. A gag order remains in place on the identities of certain individuals involved.