Israeli soldiers are systematically looting civilian property in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, taking televisions, motorcycles, furniture, jewelry, carpets, kitchen appliances and even personal photographs, according to reports by Israeli outlets Haaretz and Ynet.
Reservists quoted anonymously described the plundering as brazen and routine.
"Everyone who takes something — televisions, cigarettes, tools — just puts it in their vehicle. Nobody hides it, everyone sees it and understands", one soldier told Haaretz.
Another soldier told Ynet that the phenomenon reached absurd extremes in Gaza: "Someone got into a truck with a couch and there was a crazy fight over it. Seven months ago, every unit furnished its common rooms with equipment from Gaza — entire living room sets".
Israeli Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir publicly condemned the looting in late April, calling it a "disgrace" and a "moral stain" on the military. "We will not be an army of looters", he warned commanders of severe consequences.
Yet soldiers say discipline is not being enforced. Haaretz reported that commanders are reluctant to punish reservists, fearing it would discourage re-enlistment at a time when the military is already stretched thin. Checkpoints at the Lebanese border, established to prevent looted goods from being brought into Israel, have largely been dismantled or operate only as a formality.
Official figures underscore the gap between rhetoric and action. Ynet reported that only nine looting complaints were filed in Gaza throughout 2024, resulting in just one indictment — which was ultimately resolved through a plea deal.
In Gaza, looting has reportedly declined — not due to stricter enforcement, but because, as one source told Ynet, "there is little left to take".
Soldiers offered various justifications for their conduct, arguing that property in homes slated for demolition or bombardment would be destroyed anyway, or framing theft as compensation for the personal hardships of reserve service.
Haaretz noted that looting has occurred in previous Israeli conflicts, including wars in 1948, 1956, 1967 and during the first Lebanon war in 1982, but said the current situation stands out for the systematic passivity of the state. The government, while not openly encouraging looting, has taken no meaningful steps to stop it.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio, PAP