Help Yourselves...
Posted August 14th, 2006 by ringverse
in
"If our fighters deep in Lebanese territory are left without food our water, I believe they can break into local Lebanese stores to solve that problem," Brigadier General Avi Mizrahi, the head of the Israel Defense Forces logistics branch, said Monday.
Mizrahi's comments followed complaints by IDF soldiers regarding the lack of food on the front lines.
"If what they need to do is take water from the stores, they can take," Mizrahi told Army Radio.
According to Mizrahi, the logistics branch is prepared for the possibility that combat soldiers will have to remain in Lebanon during the winter.
OK so this is a direct
OK so this is a direct endorsement of theft to add to the various other illegal acts.
This is not a declared war, this action is not looting, it is theft and criminal damage actively supported by the IDF hierarchy in order to cover up their logistical incompetence.
And what, exactly, has Israel achieved by this farcical adventure?
I think you mean 'this
I think you mean 'this action is not requisitioning', since looting is illegal whatever the circumstances.
Whether or not a war has been declared is pretty much irrelevant -- the last time, as far as I know, anyone actually bothered to declare war was back in 1945, when the Soviet Union observed the formalities before entering Manchuria to mop up the Japanese. In any case, strictly speaking it's probably up to the Lebanese to declare war on Israel (normally the aggrieved party gives the other side a deadline to withdraw its troops or whatever, after which, it warns, a state of war will exist if its demands have not been met).
The Fourth Geneva Convention applies whether or not war has been declared. Article 55 states
'To the fullest extent of the means available to it the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population; it should, in particular, bring in the necessary foodstuffs, medical stores and other articles if the resources of the occupied territory are inadequate.
'The Occupying Power may not requisition foodstuffs, articles or medical supplies available in the occupied territory, except for use by the occupation forces and administration personnel, and then only if the requirements of the civilian population have been taken into account. Subject to the provisions of other international Conventions, the Occupying Power shall make arrangements to ensure that fair value is paid for any requisitioned goods. '
So Israel probably can seize food and water for their troops, provided that they leave enough for the locals, so long as they pay a fair market price for them. Be interesting to know if they do.