Israeli soldiers occupying southern Lebanon have engaged in widespread looting of civilian homes and businesses alongside the systematic destruction of villages, with commanding officers turning a blind eye to the practice, according to testimonies published by Haaretz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Five soldiers from different units described a battlefield culture resembling that of a \u201cViking army,\u201d where discipline has given way to moral disintegration and a lawless environment prevails, the newspaper reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor most of the senior commanders, it did not matter. Soldiers looted even when the brigade commander came to visit, and he turned a blind eye,\u201d one soldier testified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the soldiers\u2019 accounts, the war on Lebanon has acquired a hidden objective beyond confronting Hezbollah: the collection of spoils and exacting revenge on Lebanese civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One reservist described an \u201cunofficial mission\u201d as \u201ctaking out all the loot\u201d \u2013 unloading stolen goods at outposts so they would be waiting for soldiers when they returned home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The testimonies portray a systematic practice in which soldiers, after clearing homes of any possible resistance presence, would begin \u201clocating valuable items.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shops were described as particularly lucrative targets, with soldiers emptying stores of food, cigarettes, cleaning supplies, stationery, and other goods for personal use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even everyday supplies consumed at military outposts were sourced from Lebanon, soldiers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt any given moment, you could see soldiers walking around the village carrying with them civilians\u2019 belongings,\u201d one soldier told the newspaper. \u201cIt felt like the primary mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One soldier described his battalion commander as \u201cthe most extreme,\u201d noting that he \u201crefused to go home, the smile never left his face. He was in a state of exaltation, like a die-hard fan whose team wins a championship after 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI felt that beyond the border, it is okay to be crazy,\u201d the soldier added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another reservist told Haaretz that the military\u2019s main mission in southern Lebanon was the destruction of homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He described a commander\u2019s pre-invasion speech as \u201ca pagan ritual\u201d and noted that when his unit entered one village, \u201cthere were no militants. The houses were empty. There was no fighting there at all \u2013 only operations to flatten homes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere was no reason other than revenge,\u201d the reservist said, adding that homes, schools, and clinics were destroyed without stated military justification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Much of the demolition work was carried out by private contractors, including \u201cextreme settlers\u201d as well as Bedouin and Druze workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Haaretz, the military believes the reported cases represent only \u201cthe tip of the iceberg,\u201d given footage circulating on social media showing soldiers vandalizing and looting property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hezbollah fighters have pledged that they will neither rest nor settle until every Israeli occupier is driven from the Lebanese soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Israeli historian Adam Raz, who has written about the looting of Palestinian property during the 1948 Nakba, said last month that while \u201clooting was part of every Israeli war,\u201d what is new is \u201cthe total indifference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe senior command turns a blind eye, the criminality continues, and the crime achieves its goals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The phenomenon extends beyond Lebanon. Human rights monitors have documented similar practices in Gaza and the West Bank, describing a \u201cclear pattern of theft during Israeli military operations\u201d that has become \u201can effective policy of the state and the army.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Legal experts note that such behavior constitutes a violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which absolutely prohibits looting in armed conflicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court classifies looting as a war crime, particularly when it acquires systematic or widespread characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The testimonies emerged as Israeli atrocities continue in Lebanon despite a US-announced ceasefire last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that approximately 100,000 Lebanese have fled their homes in recent days, with at least 3,020 people killed and more than 9,200 injured since the escalation began on March 2nd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[ SOURCE: PRESS TV ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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