Israeli writer and sociologist specializing in military issues, Yagil Levy, said that occupation soldiers in Gaza are looting the property of citizens there for “revenge motives.”
An Israeli writer on Tuesday criticized the retaliatory looting operations committed by Israeli soldiers of Palestinian property in the Gaza Strip after their owners were displaced.
Yagil Levy, a sociologist specializing in military issues, said in an article in Haaretz newspaper: “Soldiers plunder the property of Gaza Strip residents after seizing their homes.”
He stated, "In the Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper, writer Nahum Barnea reported the testimony of a reserve doctor: Smaller, less disciplined forces looted phones, motorcycles, and bicycles. Is this fair? I was embarrassed."
Levy explained: “A soldier in the Givati Brigade proudly showed Kan 11 TV correspondent Uri Levy a large mirror taken from a house in Khan Yunis.”
He added: “On social media, soldiers are posting videos such as one of a soldier proudly displaying football jerseys taken from a home in Gaza, while reservists show off delicious meals prepared from food they took from Gaza kitchens.”
Levy pointed out that "this huge amount of oral testimony reflects a widespread problem, but the army seems to be having difficulty preventing this."
He said: “Haaretz reported that this issue was raised in talks between Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy and various units, but no systematic attempt was made to prevent looting.”
He added: “The Army’s Chief Education Officer (General Ophir Levius), who is not in the chain of command, issued a letter to the troops about this issue, and its vague wording was accompanied by repeated underlines, all dedicated to looting, to show that this problem is bothering the Army.”
Levy added, "However, his arguments against the looting revolved around the damage it does to public confidence in the army and unit cohesion, and the contribution it makes to anti-Israel propaganda."
“There is only one argument he forgot to mention: the clear prevention of theft,” he said. “It is obviously difficult to talk to soldiers about morality, so utilitarian arguments are needed.”
Levy stressed that “looting did not develop in a vacuum, and in fact it has always existed. What is new here is its level, the soldiers’ pride in it, and the army’s weakness in the face of it.”
According to the writer, “Soldiers do not necessarily loot to satisfy their physical needs, nor are they necessarily motivated by greed. Rather, looting during combat is an expression of the desire for revenge.”
He said: “The soldiers also carry out symbolic revenge, as seizing the property of their enemies after defeating them symbolizes complete victory,” according to his assessment.
He believes that “looting is a symbol of public revenge, and it is no coincidence that this is accompanied by the destruction of property, including more than one incident in which homes were burned unnecessarily.”
He concluded that “looting reflects a denial of the humanity of the enemy population, making it acceptable to search their personal property, even the most intimate, and choose what to take.”
He pointed out that "the fact that private property was damaged only confirms the assumption that lies at the basis of the fighting, which is that 'there are no innocent civilians' in Gaza, and therefore it is okay to harm civilians even after they have fled."
He said, "This shows that looting is not a deviation from the fighting, but rather a continuation of this war of revenge by other means. His presence helps maintain the fighting spirit of the forces, and therefore the General Staff is reluctant to uproot him."
He concluded by saying: “Now, it is up to ordinary Israelis to decide what kind of army they want to fight in their name.”
On Friday, Yedioth Ahronoth's chief analyst, Nahum Barnea, said: "What begins with the looting of abandoned property leads to the theft of the enemy's military equipment and then to the theft of the military equipment of our forces."
According to Barnea, Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy acknowledged that looting had occurred, and spoke about it on every field visit to soldiers, adding: “Some commanders told him that this might harm morale.”
The Ministry of Health in Gaza calls on the world to put pressure on Israel and end its siege of Nasser Hospital
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said that the international community must take action to force Israel to end its siege of Nasser Hospital and save the lives of dozens inside it.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to end its siege of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, south of the Strip, which contains dozens of patients and those in critical condition.
The Ministry of Health indicated in a statement on Tuesday that 18 patients had been evacuated from Nasser Medical Complex to field hospitals, and that 118 patients were still inside.
She said: “The situation of the Nasser Complex, which the occupation has turned into a military barracks, is catastrophic and poses a threat to the lives of staff and patients.” The ministry called on “international institutions to put pressure on the occupation to end the militarization of the Nasser Medical Complex.”
For its part, the World Health Organization announced “the successful evacuation of 32 wounded people in critical condition, including children” from Nasser Hospital. The organization confirmed that at least 15 doctors and nurses are still inside the hospital, which the Israeli army has turned into a military barracks.
The organization expressed its fear for the safety of patients and health workers who remained in the hospital, stressing that there was no electricity or water amid the spread of diseases due to the accumulation of hospital waste and garbage.
"Disappointment"
In light of the continued Israeli siege on the Nasser Medical Complex amid the absence of international reactions, Palestinian doctor Ahmed Al-Mughrabi expressed his feeling of disappointment at the world’s silence, denouncing: “Where is the humanity?”
The doctor, who works at Nasser Hospital, addressed the world: “We ate only one meal a day. Why did you disappoint us? Where is the humanity? I do not know where the humanity is! Why did this happen to us?”
He added, asking: "I do not know how long this (Israeli war) will last. How many of us must die to stop these crimes? I do not know if you can hear me. Please do something to stop these crimes against us and against our people."
The Israeli occupation army surrounded Nasser Hospital, the second largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, two weeks ago with tanks and armored vehicles and deployed snipers around the area, before raiding it a few days ago.
The occupation forces closed the hospital to entry and exit, and kept thousands of people, including the displaced people who took refuge in it, under siege for several days.
The Israeli occupation army also killed many Palestinians who were trying to enter or leave the hospital, shot by snipers stationed in the area.
Forces raided the hospital on February 15 and detained several Palestinians, including members of the medical staff.
On February 18, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced that Nasser Hospital was no longer able to provide service.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving tens of thousands of victims, most of them children and women, according to Palestinian and UN data.
The Israeli occupation army also attacked most of the hospitals in the Gaza Strip, destroyed the health system, and caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and severe deterioration of infrastructure and property.