Data obtained by Haaretz shows at least six additional criminal investigations were opened in 2024 over suspicions of looting or property destruction by soldiers, but none resulted in an indictment. The military believes these cases represent only the tip of the iceberg
Despite multiple cases of looting and property destruction by Israeli soldiers during the ground operations in Gaza and Lebanon, only one resulted in a criminal indictment, which was ultimately resolved Monday in a plea deal due to evidentiary difficulties and investigative failures.
The charge against the soldier was subsequently amended to theft, rather than the more serious offense of looting. The investigation further found that most of the banknotes allegedly looted by the reservist were counterfeit.
Under the plea agreement, the military court sentenced the reservist to 60 days in prison and 30 days of military community service.
According to the indictment, in the summer of 2024, a military unit entered a house in the southern Gaza city of Rafah to search for weapons and gather intelligence. During the operation, a reservist noticed a bag, opened it, took the banknotes and placed them in his personal carrier.
In October, while on a break from combat duty, the reservist, whose identity is under a gag order, attempted to deposit the money into his private bank account. Approximately 5,000 shekels (about $1,600) of the sum were found to be counterfeit, arousing the bank clerk’s suspicion.
Israeli troops in Gaza, last year. Credit: Naama Grynbaum
The clerk then reported the matter to the police, which subsequently referred the case to the Military Police. After roughly six months, the Military Police filed an indictment.
The reservist’s attorney, who noted that he was also charged with misconduct and demoted to the rank of private, told the court that the money he took came from the home of a militant. She added that the reservist had been financially supporting his family, which had been evacuated from their home near the border.
After the sentencing was given, the soldier – whose details are banned for publication due to a gag order – addressed the court, saying, “It was a difficult financial period during which my life came to a stop.”
A statement by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that the military “takes any harm to civilian property, and particularly acts of looting, very seriously and prohibits them unequivocally.”
"Any allegation or suspicion of such acts is thoroughly investigated and dealt with to the full extent by the Military Advocate General’s Office," it added, saying that punishment is carried out if evidence builds up.
Concerning the ruling, the military said that the court “upheld the plea deal and convicted the soldier of stealing money [while on duty in] Gaza. The court considered the defense’s waiver of evidentiary claims, alongside complex personal circumstances that cannot be detailed due to privacy considerations.”
According to data obtained by Haaretz, at least six additional criminal investigations were opened in 2024 over suspicions of looting or property destruction by soldiers during the war, but none resulted in an indictment.
The military believes these cases represent only the tip of the iceberg, in light of footage circulating on social media showing soldiers vandalizing and looting Palestinian property.
The issue of looting and property destruction during the war was of concern to senior IDF officers. In December 2023, for instance, Brig. Gen. (res.) Ofir Livius, a former senior education officer, sent a letter to soldiers in response to footage posted online of soldiers looting and destroying civilian property in Gaza.
In the published letter, Livius wrote that "We must preserve our humanity. We must not engage in looting and desecrate the war."He added that while the war brought soldiers “to the height of heroism and comradeship, it can also corrupt.”
However, as Haaretz reported in 2024, indictments during the war were filed primarily for offenses related to the removal and possession of weapons.
According to a military source, a “code of silence” within units shields cases of looting, preventing them from reaching the Military Advocate General’s Office and the Military Police. Moreover, the inability of Gazans to file complaints in such cases further hampers efforts to uncover the truth.
Data obtained via a freedom of information request filed by the nongovernmental organization Hatzlacha, coupled with additional information obtained by Haaretz, shows that most looting cases involved the theft of ammunition, Kalashnikov rifles and handguns, though there were other cases, including even some looted motorcycles.
In addition to these cases, the Military Police opened an investigation into an incident in southern Lebanon where soldiers looted cash and set it on fire. Another notable case involved the looting of electrical appliances from Gaza and their sale in Israel.
The Military Advocate General’s Office also investigated other incidents in which soldiers desecrated copies of the Quran in a Nabi Salah mosque, damaged medical equipment in a Gaza hospital, and looted Muslim religious items. Despite some soldiers recording themselves committing these acts, no disciplinary or criminal action against was taken against them.
