The Israeli newspaper Haaretzthe most progressive in the country, has just published the testimonies of the country’s soldiers who serve on the Lebanese front and who narrate how looting of homes is taking place in the villages in the south of the Arab state, evicted by its citizens, more than a million who have had to escape their bombs and their ground invasion. Attacking civilians is a war crime, as is forcing their displacement or looting their belongings.
The newspaper maintains that “a considerable amount of civilian property is being looted from homes and businesses in southern Lebanon.” The accounts describe large-scale theft of motorcycles, televisions, paintings, sofas and rugs, a practice that has become “common.”
The stories state that both senior managers and junior managers on the ground are aware of the phenomenon, “but they are not taking disciplinary measures to stop it.”
The Israel Defense Forces told the aforementioned media that they take disciplinary and criminal measures when necessary and that the Israeli military police carry out inspections “at the northern border crossing when forces withdraw from combat.” However, some military police checkpoints that had been set up at exit points in southern Lebanon to prevent looting have been removed, while no checkpoints were established at other exit points, the information added.
In response to the report of Haaretzthe Chief of the General Staff, Eyal Zamir, has ordered the opening of a Military Police investigation into acts of looting carried out by IDF soldiers in Lebanon. He also ordered the reinforcement of Military Police forces at all entry and exit points along the border, and ordered thorough inspections of all vehicles entering and leaving the combat zone.
This practice had already been denounced before both in Gaza and in the West Bank, with information from the same newspaper, which exposed to the world that the soldiers of what calls itself “the most moral Army in the world” even steal children’s piggy banks.
Even gold bars
There are more things moving: after seeing the report, the newspaper is receiving more testimonies from soldiers who described similar incidents. One of them claimed to have witnessed the theft of gold bars. The Israel Defense Forces stated that they were unaware of the case in question, but confirm that they are receiving numerous reports from reservists who warned about this phenomenon, once it came to light.
According to testimonies, when the soldiers leave Lebanon, they openly load the stolen items into their vehicles, without trying to hide them. “It’s crazy,” one of them said. “Anyone who takes something—televisions, cigarettes, tools, whatever—immediately puts it in their vehicle or leaves it on the side, outside the military base, but they don’t hide it. Everyone sees it and understands it.”
“Anyone who takes something – TV, cigarettes, tools, whatever – immediately puts it in their vehicle or leaves it to the side, outside the military base, but they don’t hide it. Everyone sees it and understands it”
Soldiers say some commanders turn a blind eye, while others condemn the behavior but refrain from punishing those involved. “In our unit, they don’t even comment on anything or get angry. The battalion and brigade commanders know everything,” said one.
Another described an incident in which a commander caught soldiers leaving with objects in a jeep: “He yelled at them and told them to throw it away, but that was it. No investigation was started.” A third added: “The commanders speak out against it and say it is serious, but they do nothing.”
The soldiers stressed that looting is not part of any official IDF policy, but said it has spread due to a lack of control. “Battalion and brigade commanders do speak out and get angry, but without action, they are empty words,” said one.
“Lax enforcement of the law sends a clear message. If someone were removed or imprisoned, or if military police were stationed at the border, it would stop almost immediately. But when there is no punishment, the message is obvious,” another soldier added.
They also assessed that differences in the magnitude of looting between units – in some, they said, the phenomenon is almost non-existent, while in others it is widespread – are largely tied to the level of law enforcement by commanders and the standards they instill in their troops.
Some soldiers linked the phenomenon to the prolonged fighting since October 7, 2023 and to the reluctance to involve the Criminal Investigation Division of the Military Police in the investigation of alleged looting committed by IDF reservists. “There are people here who have served more than 500 days in the reserves. Today’s commanders, whether company, battalion or even brigade, cannot simply send reservists to prison,” said one. “They know that discipline in the IDF has been eroded and they have no real ability to enforce it. They prefer to keep things secret, just so people show up for the next round.”
“They know that discipline in the IDF has been eroded and they have no real capacity to enforce it”
Changes in routines
Soldiers added that looting has also been fueled by extensive destruction of infrastructure and property during operations. The soldiers say to themselves: “What does it matter if I take it? They are going to destroy it anyway,” they say.
Looting has also intensified in the current offensive due to a change in the combat pattern in southern Lebanon. Since many Hezbollah militants have retreated northward, IDF soldiers deployed in the south are, for the most part, not engaged in sustained high-intensity combat.
Instead, they spend long periods in abandoned civilian areas: towns and cities whose inhabitants fled before the troops arrived. This contrasts with the previous offensive, which was characterized by frequent and intense fighting on the ground.
The IDF stated in response: “The military views any damage to civilian property and acts of looting with the utmost severity, and categorically prohibits them. Any allegations or suspicions of such acts are thoroughly examined and dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. In cases where sufficient evidence is established, disciplinary and criminal measures are taken, including prosecution. The Military Police Corps conducts inspections at the northern border crossing as forces withdraw from Lebanon.”
Israeli forces have invaded Lebanon again after Hezbollah attacked Israel with missiles, rockets and drones as part of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28. A fragile US-brokered ceasefire has been in effect since last week, while Israel maintains a buffer zone about 10 kilometers deep along the Israeli-Lebanese border and has begun demolishing homes and structures in frontline border villages.
According to Lebanese health officials, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have displaced more than a million people and killed more than 2,000 civilians and militiamen. Sixteen IDF soldiers have been killed in the offensive against Lebanon, while two Israeli civilians have been killed, one of them by IDF fire.
