"Israeli" soldiers steal nearly $28m in goods from Syria, Lebanon, Gaza

Israeli Occupation soldiers have amassed vast quantities of cash, gold, luxury goods, and weaponry from their operations in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, according to a report by "Israeli" media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth.

The report details extensive looting carried out by both specialized army units and individual soldiers.

Among the seized items are nearly USD 28 million in cash, gold bars, high-end jewelry, and approximately 183,000 pieces of weaponry. The scale of the looting was so extensive that soldiers reportedly joked about the physical strain it placed on them.

The specialized units involved in the operations are tasked with "seizing" financial assets and other valuables from areas designated as "enemy" territory. However, many individual soldiers have also engaged in looting on their own initiative.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the stolen weaponry alone is enough to equip a small military force. The inventory includes missiles, drones, advanced anti-tank systems, thousands of explosive devices, and various types of firearms—some still in their original packaging.

Other confiscated items include sniper rifles, military communication tools, night vision equipment, uniforms, and vehicles. Among the looted goods are also historical collector’s pieces, such as rare French rifles from the 1930s and unique pistols linked to Hezbollah operatives.

One "Israeli" officer, identified as A, recounted the challenges soldiers faced in transporting the stolen goods from southern Lebanon. “At first, we carried missiles, weapons, and crates of ammunition back to Israel on our backs at night, but it quickly became too much. It really broke our backs. And our guys are tough,” he said.

Currently, the vast collection of looted materials is stored in secure facilities across "Israel", including undisclosed warehouses and underground storage sites. The Israeli Occupation government has yet to determine what will be done with the confiscated items.

There have been discussions about supplying some of the weapons to Ukraine, but these plans were reportedly abandoned due to "Israel’s" strategic position in maintaining neutrality, particularly given Russia’s interests in Syria. Additionally, the volume of looted arms is considered minimal compared to the scale of Ukraine’s ongoing war effort, which continues to receive substantial Western support.

While the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have not officially confirmed repurposing the seized explosives, it has explored the possibility of using them to meet the IOF’s demand for explosive devices. Lieutenant Colonel Sharon-Katzler, who oversees aspects of these operations, emphasized the urgency of making use of the materials.

“For example, after Hamas’s invasion into the western Negev on 7 October, we studied the explosive devices they used and reinforced our tanks and APCs accordingly,” he stated.