An IDF reservist logistics officer operating in Gaza has been indicted on charges of assisting the enemy
By Sammy,
An IDF reservist logistics officer operating in Gaza has been indicted on charges of assisting the enemy during wartime, after prosecutors alleged he used his access to the Strip to bring cigarettes inside for profit. The defendant, Bezalel Zini, is the brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini.
According to the indictment, Zini transported 14 crates of cigarettes from Israel into Gaza across three separate entries, allegedly earning a total of NIS 365,000. He was charged in the Beersheba District Court as part of a wider smuggling case that also includes Aviel Ben David and Amir Dov Halperin. Authorities allege the broader network carried out multiple smuggling runs into the Strip.
Channel 12 reported that during police interrogations conducted prior to the indictment, Zini initially denied any connection to the alleged scheme. "My entry into the Strip is a daily situation... I deny any relation to the event," he said in one session. However, when questioned about payments, he acknowledged receiving money from Ben David. "I don't know how much, it could be NIS 200,000 or 250,000, I don't know," he reportedly stated. When investigators asked whether the amount exceeded NIS 300,000, he responded, "I received \[money\], I don't know how much."
Ben David allegedly told investigators that he handed Zini NIS 200,000 in cash two days after the two entered Gaza together carrying a crate of Marlboro cigarettes. While Zini admitted receiving funds, he did not state in the transcript that the money was given in exchange for smuggling. Other Hebrew media reports say he denied knowing the payment was tied to any illegal activity. His legal team rejects the charges.
Topics: Gaza, IDF
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.