Watan-The Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Hertzi Halevi, warned his soldiers against looting homes in Gaza after several videos surfaced showing homes being vandalized and looted.
According to the Hebrew website Yedioth, Halevi requested that leaders and soldiers refrain from theft and unnecessary writing on walls.
Several videos posted online showed acts of violence and provocative crimes unrelated to the stated goal of targeting Hamas movement.
In one video, a soldier boasts about stealing a silver necklace from Gaza to give it to his girlfriend in Israel. Another video shows a soldier stealing a carpet from a Palestinian home, and a third shows a soldier stealing a traditional mirror from a house.
Other videos show an Israeli officer stealing cosmetics to give as a gift, and a soldier setting fire to food and water supplies.
Stolen artifacts
In January, the head of the Israeli Antiquities Authority withdrew his earlier statement after it seemed like he was announcing that Israel would display some stolen artifacts from Gaza in the Knesset.
He had posted photos and videos on his Instagram account saying that his deputy was heading to Gaza to inspect artifacts rumored to be displayed in the Israeli parliament.
According to the website Ynet, Halevi’s statements did not receive a warm welcome from many leaders, who believe it will affect the morale of Israeli soldiers.
However, he still insists on the immediate cessation of such behavior.
An Israeli soldier brags about looting a silver necklace for his girlfriend from Gaza pic.twitter.com/YCZyoUjcUz
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) November 26, 2023
In the early days of the war, Israeli soldiers were not allowed to carry their phones with them in the field, but it seems that this restriction has been lifted.
Earlier in January, the Gaza government’s media office said that since October 7th, the Israeli army had looted about $25 million worth of money, gold, and handmade items.
The media office said it had “dozens of testimonies” from Gaza residents about the thefts.
The thefts occurred in various ways, firstly at checkpoints, such as Salah al-Din Street, where they stole from displaced people who moved from the northern to the southern Gaza Strip, their bags containing their valuable belongings.