Khaberni - The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that regular and reserve soldiers from the Israeli occupation army have been looting large quantities of civilian properties from homes and stores in southern Lebanon, according to soldiers’ and field commanders’ testimonies to the newspaper.
The newspaper clarified that the theft of motorcycles, televisions, paintings, sofas, and carpets has become a widely repeated phenomenon, and that both the higher and lower command in the field are aware of it, but no disciplinary action has been taken to eradicate it.
In response, the newspaper reported that the Israeli army takes disciplinary and criminal actions when necessary, and that the military police conduct inspections "at the northern border crossing when leaving combat areas".
However, the irony that the newspaper pointed out is that some of the military police checkpoints that were established at exit points from southern Lebanon to prevent looting have been removed, and no checkpoints were established at other exit points at all.
Public Theft
In the details of the thefts, the newspaper reported from witnesses that the soldiers of the occupation army load their vehicles with stolen equipment without attempting to hide it, during their departure from Lebanon.
One soldier was quoted saying, "It's on a crazy scale; anyone who takes something—televisions, cigarettes, tools, or anything else—immediately puts it in their vehicle or hides it aside, not inside the site, but it is not a secret. Everyone sees and understands."
According to the soldiers, while some leaders ignore this phenomenon, others condemn it, but refrain from punishing the thieves.
One testified, saying, "With us, they don’t even comment or get angry. The battalion commander and the brigade commander are aware of everything." Another said, "In one field situation in Lebanon, a commander caught fighters leaving with a Jeep full of items. He yelled at them and ordered them to throw away the stolen items, but that was the end of it; there was no further investigation." A third soldier added, "The commanders publicly speak against this phenomenon and say it is serious, but they do nothing."
A witness explained, "The battalion commander and the brigade commander complain and get angry, but without actions, it remains just empty words." Another soldier added, "The leniency in enforcing the law sends a clear message. If they sacked or imprisoned someone, or spread military police across the borders, the situation would stop immediately. But when there is no punishment, the message is clear." Indeed, the soldiers estimated that the disparity in the extent of looting between units—as they say, it is almost nonexistent in some, while widespread in others—is largely linked to the level of law enforcement and standards that commanders instill in their subordinates.
No Punishment for Thefts
Haaretz reported from the soldiers that looting is not part of the official policy of the Israeli army but exacerbated by weak law enforcement.
Theft in Exchange for Service
The newspaper pointed out that some soldiers link the ongoing fighting since October 7, 2023, to the decision not to involve the military police in investigating the lootings committed by reserve soldiers.
One of them said, "The soldiers here have served for more than 500 days, and the commanders today—whether they are company or battalion or even brigade commanders—cannot imprison reserve soldiers. They know that discipline in the Israeli army has collapsed, and they do not have the ability to influence it. They prefer to quietly close everything so that people can return for the next round."
The soldiers also noted that the looting expands in the midst of the widespread destruction of infrastructure and properties following military operations; "The soldiers tell themselves: What difference does it make if I took it? It will be destroyed anyway."
Haaretz pointed out that looting has increased in the ongoing war on Lebanon, resulting from changes in combat patterns in southern Lebanon, with many Hezbollah fighters moving north, whereas the Israeli army soldiers in southern Lebanon are no longer engaged in intense combat, and spend long periods in deserted civilian areas—villages and towns that were deserted by their inhabitants before the soldiers arrived—which is different from the previous war that witnessed frequent and intense fighting.
