Israeli Inspectors Intercept Cigarette Smuggling Attempt in UNICEF Trucks at Gaza Crossing
Jerusalem, 30 October, 2024 (TPS) -- Israeli inspectors at the Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza thwarted an attempt to smuggle 1,000 packs of cigarettes in six United Nations trucks on Wednesday.
The trucks belonged to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and had arrived at Kerem Shalom from Egypt carrying pipes for sewage infrastructure. Inspectors found 1,000 packs of Karelia cigarettes, a Greek brand, hidden in the wooden pallets carrying the pipes, according to the Israel Tax Authority.
“According to the information we have, a pack of cigarettes is sold in Gaza at a price of 1,500 shekels [$405],” the Tax Authority said. “In light of the severity of the exploitation of the humanitarian shipments for smuggling purposes, a request was made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to act on the matter. As of this hour, the six trucks are delayed in transit.
Israel severed its ties with the UN Relief and Works Agency on Monday, barring officials from cooperating with the UN agency. UNRWA has been under fire for months, with Israeli officials demanding the agency be stripped of its authority in Gaza and defunded amid revelations that members of the agency’s staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attacks. While Israel has frozen UNRWA out of Gaza’s aid distribution, it continues to work with other international humanitarian organizations.
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack, 1,094,337 tons of humanitarian aid and other supplies have been transferred to Gaza, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories unit.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 97 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.