IDF officer allegedly involved in smuggling goods worth millions of shekels into Gaza

An indictment was filed Wednesday against a soldier accused of smuggling goods from Israel into the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces announced.

According to the IDF, a major serving in the IDF smuggled goods into the Gaza Strip and also brought an Israeli civilian into Gaza as part of the alleged operation.

The officer was arrested several months ago, and military prosecutors on Wednesday filed charges including aiding the enemy, accepting bribes, smuggling goods under aggravated circumstances, and additional offenses.

Since the beginning of the war in October 2023, several cases have been exposed in which Israelis were involved in smuggling goods into Gaza for financial gain, including the brother of Shin Bet Director David Zini.

The indictment was filed after a joint investigation by the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), the Southern Police District, the Special Investigations Unit of the Military Police, the Customs Investigations Unit, and Southern Customs and Border Protection.

The indictment alleges that the defendant oversaw the smuggling of cigarettes, mobile phones, car batteries, laptop computers, electric bikes, and more into the Gaza Strip, worth millions of shekels. 

According to the investigation, the IDF officer abused his military position to bypass the inspection and supervision mechanisms, claiming to be bringing in supplies for legitimate military operational needs. 

The indictment described one such incident in January 2026 in which a truck carrying smuggled goods was driven by an Israeli civilian, while the officer led the convoy in a military vehicle, allegedly using his rank and position to misrepresent the nature of the goods being brought into Gaza.

After crossing into the Gaza Strip, the Israeli driver reportedly left the truck in a predetermined area and returned to Israel with the officer. 

Several days later, the officer allegedly brought the Israeli citizen back into Gaza to complete the transfer of the goods to the Palestinian parties. 

The indictment stated that the officer was aware he was violating military regulations and Israeli law by smuggling goods into the Gaza Strip, actions that could potentially provide material assistance to the Hamas terror group. It also noted that bringing an Israeli civilian into Gaza while “turning a blind eye” to the risks could have facilitated Hamas had it decided to abduct him.