Israeli Officers Refuse to Sign Anti-Looting Pledge in Lebanon
Israeli media have reported that dozens of commanders from the country’s military units have refused to sign an official document that prohibits forces from looting or seizing civilian property if they enter Lebanon. This issue has sparked widespread reactions within Israel.
According to Channel 14 of Israeli television, the document requested soldiers to commit that during any potential operations on Lebanese soil, there would be no violations against the property of civilian residents. However, a number of senior officers have declined to accept and sign this pledge.
This development comes amid earlier Israeli media acknowledgments of instances of looting in southern Lebanon. The newspaper Haaretz, in an investigative report, wrote that several official and reserve soldiers of the Israeli army admitted that stealing items such as motorcycles, televisions, artworks, furniture, and carpets from Lebanese citizens had become a recurring practice.
The report stated that some soldiers openly filled their vehicles with seized property as they left Lebanese territory. These allegations raise questions about the Israeli army’s adherence to international humanitarian laws and the protection of civilian rights in conflict zones.
