Israeli security officials have recently acknowledged that thousands of items were smuggled into the Gaza Strip, and in some cases directly to Hamas, primarily over the past year, despite Israel’s stated full military blockade of the territory. The suspected operation involved multiple illicit routes, and Israeli smugglers are believed to have played a role.
Some of the smuggled goods have directly boosted Hamas’ finances, including tobacco, which is prohibited from entering Gaza and is therefore considered a high-value luxury item. Other materials have dual use potential, meaning they can serve civilian needs but also be diverted for terrorist purposes. These include batteries that were approved for entry for humanitarian use and for international aid organizations, but which Hamas has sought to seize.
Additional batteries are suspected to have entered Gaza through other channels and can be used to power tunnels and supply electricity to Hamas military command centers as the terrorist organization rebuilds its capabilities.
In addition, as reported last month, Hamas has also been strengthened by equipment smuggled via drones from Israel and from the Sinai Peninsula. Other items were allegedly hidden inside aid trucks that Israel allows into Gaza under agreements with the terrorist group.
About 4,200 aid trucks are supposed to enter Gaza each week and undergo full scanning and strict inspection at border crossings. However, due to the unusually large volume of goods entering the Strip, Israeli defense officials have acknowledged that some smuggling may have succeeded even within those shipments.