Israel Scandal: Shin Bet Chief’s Brother Charged with Aiding Hamas

Intense political backlash has erupted in Israel over the exposure of a smuggling ring supplying various goods—including cigarette cartons, mobile phones, solar panels, and car parts—to Hamas in Gaza. Israeli officials, including high-ranking administrative personnel, are implicated. In a major development on February 5, 2026, Israel’s Attorney General charged Bezalel Zini—the brother of Shin Bet head David Zini—with ‘aiding the enemy [Hamas] during wartime.’ Zini and two other suspects are also accused of ‘organized, systematic, and sophisticated’ smuggling into Palestinian territory since June 2025, amid the ongoing Israel–Hamas war. They allegedly deceived soldiers at Gaza checkpoints by falsely claiming their entries were part of official military duties for security reasons. At the time of the alleged crimes, Bezalel Zini served as commander of a civil engineering unit in Gaza. Prosecutors assert the defendants knew the banned goods were likely to reach Hamas operatives and could materially assist the enemy in its war against Israel. Charges have been filed against 12 Israelis and one company.