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|  | Grad rocket hits Beersheba (Archive) Photo: Reuters
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Man convicted of bomb shelter theft
Southern resident handed two-year jail sentence for robbing Beersheba shelters during Gaza offensive
Ilana Curiel
A resident of southern Israel was convicted of theft charges Wednesday, after being found guilty of stealing supplies from several Beersheba bomb shelters during Operation Cast Lead.
The court was told that the man broke into two shelters and stole a generator, a cart, a toolbox, a bicycle, and a knife.
The prosecution asked that the offenses be considered grave because they were committed while civilians were under strict orders to keep all bomb shelters unlocked, due to security concerns during the Gaza offensive.
The defense attorney told the court that his client's actions did indeed take advantage of national security threats, but attempted to mitigate the charges by stressing that the man's break-in methods were extremely unsophisticated, and consisted of merely opening doors.
"There is no doubt that these offenses are tainted with malice," Justice Dov Meged, vice president of the Beersheba Magistrates' Court, wrote in his verdict.
"The defendant took cynical advantage of the residents' plight and anxiety over rocket attacks on Beersheba. The residents, who were heeding the Homefront Command's orders, refrained from locking the shelters under the circumstances."
The judge added: "The circumstances have evoked great disgust and it would be difficult to disregard them. They therefore require a severe punishment, also intended to create deterrence."
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