Israeli soldiers selling loot stolen from Gaza, Lebanon: Report

Israeli soldiers are heavily involved in selling loot stolen from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, a new investigative report reveals.

Israeli army soldiers have been selling looted valuables taken from the besieged Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the online magazine, Hamakom Hachi Ham Bagehenom (The Hottest Place in Hell), said in an investigative report on Wednesday.

According to the report, numerous testimonies describe thefts committed by members of the Israeli army, with the stolen items ranging from large sums of cash and jewelry, to electronic devices, and even vehicles.

These looted items were later sold through various platforms, such as Telegram channels, Facebook Marketplace, and public sales, it further said, adding that Israeli senior officials are not concerned with the theft, with some even partaking in the looting.

A commander in the Nahal Brigade, one of the Israeli military’s main infantry brigades, identified only by the pseudonym Eitan, revealed that what began as soldiers taking items as souvenirs quickly escalated into widespread theft.

He noted that searching soldiers’ bags became less of a priority since “it was the whole battalion. Soldiers were doing it everywhere, and they managed to hide it everywhere.”

The report added that looting was not limited to the younger troops, as sergeants were also involved 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 the matter was. He said it really looked bad, but that there was nothing he could do about it,” Eitan said. 

The investigation found that the stolen items being sold, such as jewelry with Arabic inscriptions, ammunition, and weapons, are typically incriminating and unsuitable for normal use as they would raise suspicion.

“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 Hamakom.

“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.

Omar further noted that those in authority saw no issue with the looting, explaining that higher-ups “turned a blind eye” and showed no interest in addressing it.

He also believed that commanders are also engaging in looting, taking items of even greater value.

According to the report, soldiers were required to inform their superiors when money or ammunition was found, who would then notify the Booty Clearance Unit (Yahpash) of the army's Technological and Logistics Directorate.

One month into Israel's war on Gaza, the unit reported confiscating five million shekels ($1.3m) from the enclave, depositing the amount into the regime’s treasury. This figure has now risen to 100 million shekels ($27.6m) in cash from both Gaza and Lebanon.

Israeli soldiers stole ‘mountains’ of cash and gold from Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria: Report

The Israeli military’s “Loot Unit” has seized massive amounts of weaponry, cash, and gold, among other items, since the start of the war on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.

A recent report by Israeli outlet Ynet also revealed the scale of looting by Israeli soldiers in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, which included nearly $28m in cash, gold bars, luxury jewelry, and 183,000 pieces of weaponry.

The looting was so extensive that soldiers joked about “breaking their backs” from carrying stolen items. While special army units were officially tasked with seizing money and property from “enemy” territories, independent looting by soldiers was also widespread.

Ynet also noted that Israeli soldiers had seized enough weaponry during the invasions to arm a small army.

In a video showing Israeli soldiers looting property in Jenin, with boxes stacked in a wheelbarrow as soldiers take various household items.

In another clip, a soldier is seen bragging about stealing a silver necklace from Gaza for his girlfriend in Israel, while another shows a soldier taking a rug from a Palestinian home, and a third depicts a soldier stealing a traditional mirror.

The Zionist forces did not stop at Gaza and Lebanon but also found their way to Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December.

They took several T-55 tanks, anti-tank missiles, large Schwaz charges, Kalashnikov rifles, and considerable amounts of ammunition.

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