Tel Aviv man arrested over alleged theft from home evacuated after Iranian missile strike

A Tel Aviv man in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of stealing property from an apartment evacuated after its building was damaged by Iranian missile fire during Operation Roaring Lion back in February, police said on Thursday.

Officers stopped the man on Wednesday as he was leaving a damaged site in central Tel Aviv carrying a large amount of property, according to police. Investigators suspect that some of the items had been taken from an apartment whose residents were evacuated following the strike. 

Police said officers found bottles of alcohol, property suspected of having been taken from the apartment, and tools belonging to workers at the damaged site in the man's possession.

Investigators also suspect the man of breaking into a restaurant in central Tel Aviv several hours earlier, damaging its lock and stealing bottles of alcohol worth thousands of shekels.

He was held overnight, and police said they planned to bring him to court on Thursday to seek an extension of his detention. No indictment was announced, and the available reports did not include a response from the suspect or an attorney representing him.

Separate alleged theft reported at home damaged by Iranian missile strike

The case follows earlier suspected thefts from homes left vulnerable by Iranian missile damage.

In March, police arrested a different Tel Aviv resident, then 37, on suspicion of stealing personal property worth thousands of shekels from two apartments damaged at the beginning of the Iran operation. In that case, residents reported property missing after returning to their damaged homes, and the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court later extended the suspect's detention until March 10.

Operation Roaring Lion began on February 28 as a joint Israeli-US military campaign against Iran. Iranian forces responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, including strikes that damaged residential buildings in Tel Aviv and forced residents from their homes.