Major Gaza Smuggling Case Reportedly Tied to Nephew of Senior PA Official

The nephew of Hussein al-Sheikh, deputy head of the Palestinian Authority and a possible successor to Mahmoud Abbas, has been implicated in a Gaza smuggling case uncovered in February 2026, according to a report aired this evening (Sunday) on NEWS24I.

The report said the smuggling operation began a year earlier, in February 2025, after an Egyptian resident sought to send goods to his family in Gaza. The operation later expanded to include items prohibited from entering the Strip, including solar panels, power drills, portable gas tanks and canisters, car batteries, tobacco, electric bicycles, cell phones, car parts, and other products. Investigators also said steel pellets, originally intended for horseshoes, were later smuggled into Gaza.

According to the investigation, Jamal al-Sheikh allegedly coordinated the smuggling with the assistance of an Israeli Arab from Daburiyya, as well as soldiers from an IDF battalion whose identities remain under a publication ban.

The report added that, at the beginning of this year, a much larger smuggling operation was planned, with the goods estimated to be worth approximately 200 million shekels in Gaza. The shipment allegedly included more than 500 pallets of cigarettes, 500 newly released iPhone 17 Pro Max devices, and 30 cellular panels.

The planned operation was ultimately never carried out, and al-Sheikh was arrested by the Shin Bet shortly afterward.

The indictment against al-Sheikh also includes a separate firearms charge unrelated to the smuggling case. Prosecutors allege that he illegally possessed a Glock pistol and a matching magazine beginning in October 2025.

According to the NEWS24I report, investigators concluded that the weapon had been given to him by the chief of staff of his uncle, Hussein al-Sheikh. The report said al-Sheikh admitted this during questioning by the Shin Bet.