SMOKING PINEAPPLES? Israel Says Gaza Aid Truck Hid Cigarettes in Fruit

In one of the strangest bootlegging operations in history, a truck supposedly delivering humanitarian aid into Gaza was intercepted and found to be smuggling thousands of cigarettes hidden inside pineapples into Gaza, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced Wednesday.

Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevy, head of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), ordered the immediate suspension of the Israeli company’s authorization to deliver aid to Gaza.

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“The humanitarian aid mechanism for the Gaza Strip is meant to aid the Gazan civilian population, and no exploitation of this mechanism will be tolerated,” COGAT said in a statement on X. “COGAT and all other relevant Israeli authorities remain committed to facilitating humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip. We will not let this mechanism be abused by those trying to exploit it for personal gain.”

A security inspection team from the Land Crossings Authority uncovered the smuggling attempt at the Lachish Crossing and reported its findings to the Judea Liaison and Coordination Administration. The truck carrying the contraband belonged to an Israeli company approved to deliver humanitarian aid. The truck had been heading to the Keren Shalom Crossing, supposedly as part of the effort to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza, but after it was intercepted, its illegal goods were confiscated and transferred to the authorities for investigation.