Karen Townsend

Aid trucks bound for Gaza are allegedly being targeted by smugglers looking to transport cigarettes into the war-torn Strip. 

United Nations and Israeli officials told The Wall Street Journal that individuals seeking to retrieve cigarettes they want to sell on the black market have stopped trucks to get to shipments sent by their accomplices. 

The U.N. did not immediately return a request for comment by NewsNation confirming the incidents. 

Cigarettes are selling for up to $25 apiece in Gaza, so obtaining them can be highly profitable, the outlet reported.