Israel's military chief delivered a scathing rebuke to senior commanders, vowing to "reset the army" after incidents of looting, desecration, and political displays by soldiers operating in southern Lebanon threatened the institution's integrity.
Chief of Staff Herzi Zamir told officers at a command conference that looting in Lebanese villages represents "a moral stain on the entire army" and demanded immediate action to restore discipline after months of operations against Hezbollah.
"There is erosion, but we cannot give up on our values and we will not compromise on our norms," Zamir said, according to Haaretz. He displayed examples of inappropriate patches worn by soldiers and addressed the vandalism of a Jesus statue in a Christian village, asking commanders: "Is this how you want our army?"
The chief of staff ordered every battalion commander to submit detailed reports on discipline within one week, with cases of looting to be handled criminally by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division. Zamir also banned unauthorized entry of civilians into combat zones after investigating an incident where a brigade commander allowed four soldiers to visit a battle site from the 2006 Lebanon War.
The disciplinary crisis comes as the Israel Defense Forces completes its seventh month of operations in Lebanon following the October war with Hamas. Military analysts note that prolonged asymmetric warfare in civilian areas has strained unit cohesion and command authority.
