The Israeli military is struggling to stop soldiers from looting in southern Lebanon despite warnings from senior commanders, according to a report from dpa news agency.
Israeli media reported Sunday that soldiers had taken items from private homes and shops in Lebanon after residents or owners fled the fighting.
Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an unnamed reservist who said he witnessed several cases near the border.
“We came across many reserve units at the border; they simply took everything – weapons, souvenirs, jewellery, blankets, pictures,” the reservist said, according to the report.
The reservist also said he saw an Israeli commander stop soldiers from taking looted goods back to Israel.
Haaretz also reported that soldiers looted private homes and shops in Lebanon. According to dpa, similar reports had surfaced during the war in Gaza.
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned senior military officers about looting less than a week ago, according to media reports cited by dpa.
“The phenomenon of looting, if it exists, is reprehensible and can bring the entire army into disrepute,” Zamir said. “If such incidents have occurred, we will investigate them. We will not simply move on to the next item on the agenda.”
Zamir reportedly ordered relevant commanders to submit a full report within a week. The report says that if evidence of offenses is found, the cases should be sent to military police for criminal prosecution.
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