Israeli Forces Accused of Selling Loot Stolen from Gaza and Lebanon During Assault: Probe
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli soldiers are accused of selling loot stolen from Gaza and Lebanon during the assault, a new investigation reveals.
A report by Hamakom Hachi Ham Bagehenom (The Hottest Place in Hell) includes numerous testimonies stating that Israeli forces engaged in thefts. These included large sums of money, jewelry, electronics, and even vehicles.
The stolen items were later sold on platforms like Telegram, Facebook Marketplace, or through public sales.
One commander in the Nahal Brigade, using the pseudonym Eitan to protect his identity, explained that what began as soldiers taking items as souvenirs quickly escalated. He noted that searching soldiers’ bags became less of a priority as “it involved the entire battalion. Soldiers were taking items everywhere, and they managed to hide them in various places.”
The sergeants also took part in the thefts.
“A senior commander taking equipment from people’s homes in Gaza, with the full knowledge of the company sergeant and the company commander. I went to my sergeant and asked him what was the matter. He said it really looked bad, but that there was nothing he could do about it,” Eitan said.
“It’s much easier to take cash than to take something and sell it. I’ve heard of situations where significant amounts were taken, thousands and tens of thousands of shekels – bills are the easiest thing in the world,” another soldier, Omar, told the publication.
“It’s not unreasonable to think that some of the items were taken to be sold, but I also know that many people recognize this goes beyond reasonable limits, so they make a point to hide it. Those who sell won’t be eager to talk about it with their friends right away.”
He added that those in positions of authority did not see a problem with such actions.
He said, “At the higher levels, they turned a blind eye,” noting that they are not concerned with addressing the looting.
The soldier believes that there is also looting taking place amongst commanders, with items that are even more valuable.
One month into Israel’s assault on Gaza, Israel’s Booty Clearance Unit (Yahpash) reported five million shekels ($1.3m) confiscated from the besieged enclave and deposited into the state treasury. Today, the figure stands at 100 million shekels ($27.6m) in cash from Gaza and Lebanon combined.
A new report by Israeli Ynet news last week outlined the vast amounts of valuables stolen by Israeli soldiers from Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, including boxes of cash valued at nearly $28m, gold bars, luxury jewelry, and 183,000 pieces of weaponry.
The looting was so widespread that soldiers joked they “broke their backs” from carrying the stolen items.
Most of the looting has been conducted by and collected by special army units dedicated to “seizing” money and other property from “enemy” territory. But “independent” looting by soldiers has also been rampant.
During the ongoing invasions of Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, soldiers have seized enough pieces of weaponry to form a small army, according to Ynet.
Looting, pillaging, and theft by military forces is prohibited by international law and constitutes a war crime.
Numerous videos emerged of Israeli soldiers vandalizing and looting homes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank during raids.
In January, Gaza’s Government Media office said the Israeli forces had, since 7 October 2023, looted money, gold, and artefacts worth around $25m.
The Office said it had “dozens of testimonies” provided by residents of the Gaza Strip regarding the thefts.
“Theft operations occurred in various ways, the first of which was at the checkpoints, such as Salah al-Din Street, where they stole from the displaced people who had moved from the northern Gaza Strip to the south, their bags containing their valuable possessions such as money, gold, and artefacts,” the Office said in a statement.
