In a joint operation by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Southern District of the Israel Police, several Israeli civilians, including reservist soldiers, were arrested on suspicion of smuggling prohibited goods into the Gaza Strip.
Their arrests were made based on intelligence gathered by the security establishment, which indicated that various elements, including Israeli civilians, are exploiting the new reality on the ground that began with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the large-scale entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, to smuggle prohibited goods into the Gaza Strip through various means.
Investigations of those involved in the special operations unit of the Southern District and the Shin Bet yielded extensive information about the organizations involved in smuggling prohibited goods and equipment into the Strip. Dozens of israelis, residents of Judea and Samaria, as well as residents of the Gaza Strip, are participating in these activities, turning a blind eye to the direct contribution of this activity to the strengthening of terrorist organizations in the Strip, primarily the Hamas terrorist organization.
This morning, the Southern District Prosecutor’s Office filed indictments against 12 of those involved in the affair for offenses of aiding an enemy in war, prohibiting property transactions for terrorist purposes, obtaining property by deception under aggravated circumstances, bribery offenses, and economic offenses.
In addition, during a closed hearing held yesterday at the Magistrate’s Court in Ashkelon, it was permitted to publish that three additional suspects were investigated for security offenses related to the smuggling of cigarettes into the Gaza Strip, and their arrest was extended until March 5, after the prosecution filed a statement of intent to indict them.
We emphasize that during the fighting, and even more so since the beginning of the ceasefire, Hamas and terrorist organizations are working to rehabilitate and strengthen their military and civilian systems and reinforce Hamas’s governance in the Strip. This includes renewing military infrastructure that was damaged, recruiting and training operatives, and renewing logistical activity and rehabilitating command and control systems in the Strip.
The smuggling constitutes a significant threat to the security of the State of Israel, as it aids Hamas’s survival and governance as a result of the economic profits from the goods brought into the Strip. It contributes to Hamas’s strengthening, force-building, and the rehabilitation of military capabilities through the smuggling of goods that assist production systems, as well as the smuggling of means, capabilities, and technological means, and even the potential for smuggling weapons. It also poses a threat due to the possibility of using smuggling routes as a platform for promoting offensive military activity in Israel and against our forces in the Strip.
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