The development came hours after the military police arrested an Israeli forces officer also suspected of stealing laptop computers from activists aboard the Gaza-bound aid ship Mavi Marmara raided by Israeli commandos on May 31 and selling them to other officers.

The officer, who holds the rank of first lieutenant, allegedly sold the computers to a friend, who in turn sold them to friends of his. Three officers who are suspected of having bought the computers have also been detained for questioning.

The story was first revealed on Israeli Ynet news service. Ynet quoted a high-ranking officer who said, “The investigation has just begun, but as it appears now it will prove embarrassing and shameful. These are soldiers who don’t understand what their uniform represents.”

The Israeli radio reported that cellular phones were also stolen from the activists.

The Israeli Army Spokesman’s Office confirmed that the Military Police had opened an investigation into the affair but said that it was not certain that the computers had originated on the ships that participated in the flotilla. The spokesman’s office refused to elaborate.

Israeli sources said that the news of the investigation was a cause of great embarrassment for the army which has worked hard in recent months to stave off criticism of the navy command raid which resulted in nine dead Turkish nationals and a slew of domestic and international investigations.

Meanwhile, the Arab Member of Israeli Knesset Hanin Zo’bi said that she is not surprised by revelations that Israeli soldiers looted Turkish ships, and that she had filed a complaint over the matter earlier.

“People who come to kill have no problem stealing”, Zo’bi, whose three parliamentary privileges were revoked by the Knesset on early July for taking part in Turkish flotilla said in a letter she sent a letter to the Israeli justice minister, internal security minister, and defense minister. “I’m not surprised at all”, she added.

“Everything that happened on board the ship was an act of pirates…the state cultivates a culture of criminality,” she said. “If such culture grants legitimacy to killing people, is it any wonder that belongings are being stolen from passengers?”

She claimed that the looting started even before the ship she sailed on docked at the Ashdod port.

“I’m personally familiar with a person who stood next to me and asked where my money was. He held $2,000 and 2,000 Euros. This proves beyond any doubt that the theft got underway even before the ship’s seizure.”

The Arab lawmaker said in her letter that the roughly 600 passengers on board the ship brought many personal belongings with them, including laptops, cameras, and cash.

“Where did it all disappear? Immediately after the flotilla arrived I sent a letter…where I detailed all the equipment we had. With the exception of clothing, nothing was returned. This is clearly a theft. All the valuables disappeared.”

“This isn’t the first time we hear the army being linked to looting and robbery,” Zo’bi said. “We’ve heard about incidents that took place in the West Bank; dozens of incidents involving Palestinians who were robbed and whose homes and businesses were looted. So I’m asking: Is this the society that claims that its army is the most moral in the world?”

However, Zo’bi said her letter did not receive any response.