Israeli Soldiers are Accused of Destroying and Looting the Property of People in Gaza Homes

The Hebrew newspaper 'The Marker' revealed that elements of the occupation army carried out looting and theft operations in the homes of settlers in the Gaza periphery, after they abandoned them following the Al-Aqsa Storm operation on the seventh of this month.

The newspaper quoted residents of the settlements who were evacuated from their homes as saying that the houses were vandalized and valuable items were stolen in some of them by Israeli occupation soldiers."

On the other hand, the Regional Council in Ashdod stated that they have received numerous complaints regarding this matter, and the army has opened an investigation into it.

Settlers also claim that their homes were invaded, vandalized, and that some valuable items were seemingly stolen by military personnel who were stationed in the area for operational purposes.

The settlers who spoke to the newspaper stated that when the complainants contacted the police to file a theft complaint, they were told that there was no way to address their complaints because it was a closed military zone, and they were instructed to contact the army, which they said did not respond to their complaints. 

The newspaper quoted Zohar Haimi, a resident of the Nir Isaac settlement, who said, "His house was invaded while he was staying in a hotel in Eilat where the army had placed locks on the doors that had been broken into by the militants, but these locks were smashed, and residents reported the theft of computers and electrical equipment from those houses."

He adds that the Israeli occupation forces broke the doors with iron tools, which is very frustrating. We informed the army about this at the highest levels, but they don't seem to have control over the situation, and there are looting operations in the houses. All of this while my son is a soldier on the Khan Yunis front, alive or dead, I don't know."

The newspaper photographer, Eli Hershkovitz, says, "There was looting, that is certain. It turned out that there were soldiers in the kibbutz who roamed the houses and raided them in search of jewelry and gold. These individuals were wearing military uniforms, and they were not infiltrators who jumped over the fence because it's impossible to enter the kibbutz. There are soldier positions around all the fences." 

He continued, "Complaints were made to the police, but they claim it's a military zone, and that's why they are not responsible for it and don't deal with it. We have contacted the Gaza Division and the military police."

Hershkovitz, who returned to his home after five days of the outbreak of the war, says that his house was looted. They stole thousands of shekels in cash, took gold-plated necklaces, and even gold-plated coins. They searched every drawer in the house, opened the safe, and looked for things inside it. They stole items with personal value. This happened in six houses in the Holit settlement."

SWAHILI

Gazeti la Kiebrania 'The Marker' limefichua kuwa wanajeshi wa uvamizi wamefanya operesheni za uporaji na wizi katika nyumba za walowezi katika eneo la Gaza, baada ya kuwaacha nyuma baada ya Operesheni ya Dhoruba ya Al-Aqsa mnamo tarehe7 ya mwezi huu.

Gazeti liliarifu wananchi walioyakimbia makazi yao nyumba zao ziliharibiwa vibaya na mali zao kuibiwa. Kwa upande mwingine, Baraza la Kikanda la Ashdod lilisema wamepokea malalamiko mengi kuhusu suala hilo, na jeshi limefungua uchunguzi Shutuma hizo za wizi na uharibifu.

Walowezi waliokutana na gazeti walisema kwamba walipojaribu kuwasiliana na polisi ili kuwasilisha malalamiko ya wizi, waliambiwa kwamba hakuna njia ya kushughulikia malalamiko yao kwa sababu eneo hilo lilikuwa eneo la kijeshi lililofungwa, na walielekezwa kuwasiliana na jeshi, ambalo walidai halikushughulikia malalamiko yao.

Mpiga picha wa gazeti, Eli Hershkovitz, alisema, "Kulikuwa na uporaji, hilo ni hakika. Iligundulika kuwa kulikuwa na wanajeshi walizunguka nyumba na kuzivamia kutafuta vito vya thamani na dhahabu. Watu hawa walikuwa wamevalia sare za kijeshi, na hawakuwa wahamiaji waliovuka uzio

Aliendelea kusema, "Tulipeleka malalamiko kwa polisi, lakini wanadai kuwa ni eneo la kijeshi, na ndio sababu hawawajibiki nalo wala hawashughulikii. Tumewasiliana na Idara ya Gaza na polisi wa kijeshi."

Hershkovitz, ambaye alirudi nyumbani kwake baada ya siku tano za kuanza kwa vita, alisema kuwa nyumba yake iliporwa. Walichukua maelfu ya shekeli taslimu, walichukua vikuku vilivyopambwa kwa dhahabu, na hata sarafu zilizopambwa kwa dhahabu. Walitafuta kila droo katika nyumba, wakafungua kasha la pesa na kutafuta vitu vilivyomo. Walichukua vitu vyenye na Hii ilitokea katika nyumba sita katika makazi ya Holit."