Indictment Exposes NIS 200M Gaza Smuggling Plot Involving Soldiers

i24NEWS published at 8:00 p.m. IDT, and Ch10 updated at 10:40 p.m., that an indictment described one of the gravest Gaza smuggling cases since the war began. The case centers on Ramallah resident Jamal al-Sheikh, a relative of Palestinian Authority deputy chairman Hussein al-Sheikh, and alleges a route involving Palestinians from Judea and Samaria, Gaza merchants, Egyptian citizens and soldiers from an unnamed IDF battalion. The indictment says the ring moved prohibited and dual-use goods, Hamas demanded a 20% tax, and Shin Bet action stopped a February plan to send one truck of cigarettes, iPhones and cellular panels worth about NIS 200 million inside Gaza. Israel's security system must close this route hard while preserving due process for accused soldiers and civilians.