In the context of Israel's open war against Lebanon, which continues despite the declaration of a ceasefire, the occupation soldiers are not content with the crime of killing, shelling, and the systematic destruction of Lebanese villages, towns and infrastructure, and forcing the residents of the southern towns to evacuate their homes, but also the occupation soldiers have committed the crime of theft and looting the contents of citizens' homes in the south.
In this regard, the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" acknowledged in an investigative report the involvement of soldiers of the Israeli occupation army in extensive and organized looting of private property and shops in the towns of southern Lebanon.
The newspaper quoted "disturbing" testimonies from soldiers and officers who confirmed that the thefts are carried out openly and on a "crazy scale", to include everything that can be transported from electronic devices, carpets, motorcycles, and even cigarettes, where the stolen goods are carried directly in the soldiers' vehicles under the watchful eye of commanders of various ranks.
The newspaper quoted one soldier as saying: "It's on a crazy scale. Anyone who takes something, televisions, cigarettes, tools, anything, immediately puts it in their vehicle or leaves it aside, is not inside the military base, but it is also not hidden. Everyone sees it and understands what is going on."
According to the testimonies, the forces loot everything, from motorcycles to carpets, while commanders, from the lower to the highest ranks, are aware of what is happening, without taking effective action to prevent it.
Despite statements by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir in which he described looting as a "moral stigma," Haaretz believes that the real problem lies in the "systematic ignorance" and tolerance of these crimes.
Soldiers in Lebanon have now linked the spread of looting to a lack of manpower, with commanders condoning thefts to ensure that reservists agree to continue their presence in Lebanon, and some soldiers have justified their actions by the extent of the army's extensive destruction in the area, considering that taking property is "compensation" for the hardships of fighting before it was destroyed under the rubble.
Extended historical roots through plunder
The report stressed that this phenomenon is not an individual transient Israeli behavior, but rather a consistent pattern that is rooted in the history of Israeli wars since 1948, as the newspaper reviewed historical documents proving the involvement of Israeli forces in the looting of the city of Jaffa during the Nakba, through widespread looting operations in the Gaza Strip in 1956, and the Golan and Quneitra in 1967.
The report referred to the incident of the seizure of educational equipment looted from schools in the Palestinian city of Qalqilya after the displacement of its residents.
A crime that performs its political function
In April 2025, the anti-occupation organization Breaking the Silence published a testimony by a soldier who served in Gaza, in which he said that "the senior ranks show complete disregard for looting. They are not interested in dealing with it, and it is acceptable to them."
The newspaper concluded by asserting that the Israeli government, while not publicly encouraging looting, is using its results as a tool to destroy the structure of Lebanese society and prevent the return of displaced people to their homes. Since the outbreak of the clashes in Gaza and Lebanon, only one case of looting has led to an indictment, reinforcing the conviction that criminality in the ranks of the Israeli army performs a "job planned" away from prosecution.