Looting and destruction are Israeli army’s ‘primary mission’ in Lebanon, soldiers say

Looting and destruction are Israeli army’s ‘primary mission’ in Lebanon, soldiers say Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 09:22 Reservists describe widespread theft and demolition in southern Lebanon, with commanders accused of turning a blind eye An Israeli soldier patrols along the Israel-Lebanon boundary on 10 April 2026 (Jalaa Marey/AFP) Off Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon have engaged in widespread looting and destruction, according to testimonies published by Haaretz on Wednesday. “The method was always the same,” one Israeli reservist told the newspaper, describing how goods taken from Lebanese villages were transferred into Israel. “But there was also another mission - an unofficial one: taking out all the loot,” the reservist said. The “spoils” would be unloaded at the outpost, he added, so they’d be waiting for the soldiers when they went home. The reservist said his unit operated in a wealthy village, where soldiers would first fire at homes to ensure there were no Hezbollah fighters inside. “Once we understood the area was safe, the real mission would begin - locating valuable things,” he said, adding that soldiers often argued over what to take. According to the testimony, troops looted rugs, armchairs, motorbikes and heaters from private homes, while shops were stripped of expensive goods. "Even the hand soap at the outpost came from Lebanon," he told Haaretz. "At any given moment, you could see soldiers walking around the village carrying with them civilians’ belongings. It felt like the primary mission." Discipline problems 'at highest ranks’ The testimony comes amid mounting reports of large-scale looting by Israeli soldiers s...

Original source: Middle East Eye