The brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini was named Tuesday as one of the suspects who allegedly trafficked goods into the Gaza Strip as part of a large-scale smuggling ring.
The Ashkelon Magistrates Court permitted revealing Bezalel Zini’s name and some other details of the case, which is under a gag order, with Judge Yaniv Ben Harush stating that the information was necessary in order to “dispel the heavy cloud surrounding the suspicions.”
Zini, a reservist soldier, is one of more than a dozen individuals detained on suspicion of exploiting their roles in the army to smuggle prohibited items, worth hundreds of thousands of shekels in total, from Israel into the enclave.
Earlier Tuesday, Israel Police said that it had completed its investigation into the case, and a prosecutor’s declaration was filed against Zini, who allegedly helped to smuggle cigarettes into the enclave, Hebrew outlets reported.
Along with 15 other suspects, Zini is expected to be indicted in the coming days. He faces the severe charge of assisting the enemy during wartime, which was added to his pending indictment shortly after the prosecutor’s declaration was submitted.
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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.
Shin Bet chief David Zini (left) and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir are seen during a meeting at the Shin Bet’s headquarters in central Israel, January 28, 2026. (Shin Bet)
Prosecutors are expected to argue that the suspects in the case knew that the contraband they smuggled into the Strip would aid Hamas, and therefore, are seeking such far-reaching charges.
Ben Harush said at the Tuesday hearing that “it is important that the public knows that it wasn’t tanks or drones that were smuggled. Otherwise, people will believe the rumors that are being spread on the web.”
Attorneys on behalf of the defendants had opposed revealing their names, claiming it could endanger them and their families.
Shmuel Zini, another brother of David and Bezalel, was also at the hearing and said that his family believes the case is part of a plot to bring down the Shin Bet chief.
“The path is long, but the truth will win out,” he told the media. “The Israeli people understand the situation.”
Zini’s father, Rabbi Yosef Zini, similarly told the Ynet outlet that “it is all made up” and is aimed at ruining David Zini, who is the first ever Shin Bet chief with a “Hardal” (Haredi nationalist) background.
Bezalel Zini reportedly serves in an army reserve unit that was tasked with demolishing buildings in the Gaza Strip as part of military operations. His role gave him access to trucks bringing goods into the Strip.
The Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court extended Zini’s detention by a day on Monday. It issued a statement last week that identified him only as a relative of the Shin Bet chairman, while insisting that the security chief had no connection to the scandal.
However, in light of the relative’s ties to the agency, the case is being investigated by the Israel Police, instead of the Shin Bet, the court said.
Palestinians look on as trucks carrying humanitarian aid arrive in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on February 1, 2026 (Bashar Taleb / AFP)
While Zini and two others are being prosecuted at the Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court, the remaining 13 will be tried by the Beersheba District Court in the coming days.
Media outlets had been petitioning for the court to lift the gag order on details of the case.
Suspicions were first raised six weeks ago when soldiers on the so-called Yellow Line separating Israeli and Hamas-held areas of Gaza, spotted a suspicious truck in the area, Channel 12 reported.
A check of the vehicle revealed it was carrying, among other things, heavy drones, dozens of telephones, batteries, pesticides and electric cables. The items are not among the goods that Israel is permitting into Gaza, as it considers them “dual-purpose,” meaning that they can be used by terror groups for attacks.
According to the report, the drones were of a type that can carry up to 70 kilograms (154 lbs).
Illustrative: A man rolls and sells cigarettes on a street in Khan Younis, on the southern Gaza Strip on August 15, 2024. (Bashar TALEB / AFP)
Soldiers reported the issue, after which the police and Shin Bet opened an investigation that led to the identification of 25 suspects.
Zini was arrested two weeks ago, the report said. During his questioning by police, Zini reportedly claimed he knew nothing about the smuggling and that he only checked trucks entering Gaza.
However, a source involved in the investigation told Channel 12 that other suspects informed investigators that Zini knew exactly what was going on and that he allowed the smuggling to go ahead in return for cash. The source noted that Zini’s role in the affair, compared to others, is “minor.”
According to a Channel 12 report, there has been a growing phenomenon of Israelis smuggling goods into Gaza in recent months, with the network broadcasting footage in which an Israeli showed the outlet where he hid cartons of cigarettes in rubble for Palestinians living near the border to pick up.
Much of the smuggled goods comes on aid trucks, according to the report, which shows additional footage of hidden compartments in aid trucks holding cigarettes, iPhones, and even electric bikes. The goods end up contributing to Hamas’ coffers in Gaza, Channel 12 reported.
While Zini is allegedly only involved in the cigarette smuggling, the other suspects are reportedly tied to the items that may lead to more lengthy prison sentences.
Gazans involved in the smuggling transfer money to West Bank associates, who then send it abroad before it is moved to money transfer agents in Israel. One of the Israeli smugglers was found with NIS 700,000 in cash.
There has been no known attempt to smuggle weapons into Gaza using the aid trucks, according to Israeli security officials.
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