Two northern Israeli residents were arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle tobacco and cigarettes worth millions of shekels into Gaza—hidden inside a truck designated for humanitarian aid.
The arrests took place last week at the Kissufim crossing by the Southern District’s National Crime Unit, local station police, and the National Guard. Be’er Sheva Magistrate’s Court extended their detention by three days, but after an appeal, the District Court ordered their release to house arrest.
The National Crime Unit had intelligence prior to the trucks arriving at the border. The goods were covered with tarpaulin, likely to conceal them. During an initial inspection, authorities discovered a large quantity of cigarettes valued at millions of shekels.
IDF sources noted that, due to high demand and limited supply, cigarette prices in Gaza have risen sharply and can reach several thousand shekels per pack. Attorney Robi Gelbo, representing one of the suspects, argued that no specific law prohibits importing cigarettes into Gaza, leaving the reason for the arrest unclear. He also said the truck driver, a six-year military reservist, was merely a courier and may not have known the contents of the shipment.
“It appears the police unnecessarily weighed down the truck driver, who had no direct connection to the goods beyond delivering them to the checkpoint for inspection and handoff to an authorized entity,” Gelbo said. “The District Court acted rightly in releasing him, and it is unfortunate he spent time in what seems to have been an unnecessary detention.”
Police said the cigarettes could strengthen Hamas in Gaza, making their transfer during wartime prohibited and nonessential. They did not provide legal documentation to support this, but cited a restriction imposed by Defense Minister Israel Katz.
During the detention extension hearing, Judge Menachem Shachak said it was difficult to determine whether the cigarettes could actually reach Hamas, but the possibility could not be ruled out.
“I do not find that this case involves transferring goods that could reach hostile entities and ultimately bolster their resources. However, at this stage of the investigation, this possibility has not been eliminated. It is an attempt not authorized by the authorities,” he said before extending their detention. He added, however, that the suspicion had not strengthened, and it was possible the two were being held without fault.