These remarks come after an Israeli newspaper claimed that soldiers in southern Lebanon had looted significant amounts of civilian goods.
The chief of the Israeli army staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, issued a stern warning to his troops on looting, also stating that the use of social media to disseminate “questionable” messages constituted a “red line.” “The phenomenon of looting, if it exists, is shameful and risks tarnishing the image of the Israeli army. If such incidents have occurred, we will investigate them,” he said in front of officers, according to a military statement.
His comments come after the left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz claimed that soldiers in southern Lebanon had looted significant quantities of civilian goods, citing testimony from soldiers and commanders on the ground.
Videos shared on social media showed Israeli soldiers filming themselves joking while damaging property inside homes, in what appears to be southern Lebanon. Another image of a soldier using a sledgehammer to break a statue of Jesus fallen from a cross sparked a wave of international condemnation.
A red line not to be crossed
“Conscripts and reservists of the army must not use social media as a tool to disseminate controversial messages or self-promotion. It is a red line not to be crossed,” warned Zamir. “Those who cross it will face disciplinary action,” he added, specifying that “the normalization of such behaviors can be as dangerous as operational threats.”
In a separate statement sent to AFP, the army declared that it viewed “any damage to civilian property as well as any looting with the utmost seriousness.” It added that such allegations were “thoroughly examined” and that when evidence was established, disciplinary and criminal measures could be taken, including legal proceedings.
The military police also carried out “checks at the northern crossing points when troops left the operations,” without specifying if evidence of looting was found. The human rights defense organization “Breaking the Silence” indicated that it did not gather testimonies from soldiers in Lebanon, but stated that looting and similar behaviors had become “very common” since the beginning of the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza in late 2023.
