Israeli Army Commander Warns Soldiers Against Committing "Looting Crimes"

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir set "red lines" for army soldiers, foremost among them looting crimes in the battlefield, promoting information via social media, and bringing civilians into military bases, according to Hebrew media.

During a conference held today, Tuesday, for senior Israeli army commanders, in the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Zamir referred to "the phenomenon of looting in combat zones," stating that it "is a disgraceful matter that harms the reputation of the entire Israeli army. In the event of such incidents, we will investigate them and will not ignore them."

Zamir instructed every battalion commander to submit a detailed report on the status of their unit in this regard, through the chain of command up to the General Staff, within a week.

He explained: "We will collect all reports in a dedicated unit within the Personnel Division, and if looting crimes are proven, the military police will investigate the matter criminally."

Zamir acknowledged that "there is continuous erosion of the values of the Israeli army," emphasizing: "We must not abandon our values or compromise our standards." He also called on commanders to "set clear limits and deal firmly with exceptional events."

He added, asking: "Is this the image you want for our army? This is a rebellion against the values of the Israeli army."

Zamir also referred to the incident of the destruction of a statue of Jesus Christ in a village in southern Lebanon, asserting that this event harms the army's values and spirit, according to him.

In addition, the Israeli Army Chief of Staff affirmed "the complete prohibition of bringing civilians into military bases and combat zones, or even the entry of unauthorized officers and soldiers," explaining that this is "a binding directive that does not allow interpretation," following the excessive entry of civilians who believe they have the right to enter southern Lebanon.

This came in the context of the army's investigation into a brigade commander in the Bint Jbeil sector allowing 4 reserve soldiers to enter a battle site where 8 Israeli soldiers were killed.

Zamir also noted the soldiers' use of social media, stating: "Israeli army personnel, both regular and reservists, will not use social media as a means to spread controversial messages or to promote themselves."

He emphasized: "This is a red line that must not be crossed, and anyone who crosses it will be disciplined. The military uniform we wear is a symbol of where we serve and our values, so we should not use it irresponsibly," according to him.

Regarding the issue of manpower, Zamir stressed the importance of expanding the scope of recruitment to include all segments, and indicated that he is working to encourage the recruitment of Haredim.

At the same time, he clarified that this integration would not come at the expense of female recruits, in light of claims of harm to female recruits.

He continued: "We will continue to integrate women into all military positions, and there will be no exclusion of them."