Charged soldier in court
Photo: Tsafrir Abayov
Soldier indicted for looting in Gaza
Givati Brigade troop admits to taking card from Palestinian home and withdrawing money
The military prosecution on Wednesday submitted an indictment against a Givati Brigade soldier, charging him with looting, credit card fraud, and indecent conduct during the IDF offensive in Gaza in January. His arrest was first revealed by Ynet.
The soldier is the first to have been charged with crimes committed during Operation Cast Lead. The defendant has admitted to the allegations against him and his attorney said he would respond to the charges in court.
According to the prosecution, the combat soldier entered a Palestinian home in Zeitun neighborhood during the fighting in Gaza in order to obtain a lookout position.
He found a wallet under the bed which contained a Visa card and a note on which the card's 4-digit code was written, the indictment says. He took the card and placed it in them pocket of his uniform.
The soldier then attempted to use the card to withdraw money from banks in Jerusalem and Ramat Gan. All in all he tried on nine different attempts to withdraw a total of NIS 5,800 ($1,441), but succeeded only in receiving NIS 1,600 ($398). One of the attempts was made during a night out at a pub, the indictment says.
