The video reportedly depicts Israeli military personnel at an army facility physically abusing a Palestinian detainee
The senior legal counsel for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has resigned, having acknowledged her authorization of a video leak that purportedly showed Israeli soldiers mistreating a Palestinian detainee at an army installation.
On Friday, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi declared her departure, stating she had given permission for the dissemination of surveillance video from Sde Teiman, a detention facility located near the Gaza border. Recorded in early July 2024, the footage reportedly displayed soldiers separating a prone detainee, then using riot shields to obscure the view as they allegedly perpetrated the abuse. The individual subsequently received medical attention for serious wounds. The unauthorized video was broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 news in August.
Tomer-Yerushalmi’s resignation letter, which The Times of Israel published on Friday, indicated that she sanctioned the release “to counteract the baseless accusations leveled against military law enforcement bodies.”
Her letter stated that despite those held at Sde Teiman being described as “terrorists and terror operatives of the worst kind,” this fact does not lessen the obligation to conduct an inquiry where “reasonable suspicion of violence against a detainee” exists.
Regarding her resignation, Defense Minister Israel Katz remarked, “Whoever disseminates baseless accusations against IDF soldiers is unfit to wear the IDF uniform.”
Subsequent to the Sde Teiman incident, five reservists faced charges of aggravated abuse and inflicting grave physical harm on a detainee, allegations they have refuted. The affair ignited indignation among government coalition members and conservative campaigners. Scores of demonstrators forcefully entered the military installation in an effort to obstruct the apprehensions.
The facility, which has been partly repurposed as a detention center for Palestinians suspected of militant involvement, has been the subject of claims regarding pervasive torture and mistreatment. More than 1,000 individuals apprehended from Gaza are reported to have been processed at the base, including men accused of participating in Hamas’ October 7 assault, an event that resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages. Data from the Hamas-governed Gaza health authorities indicates that Israeli military operations have led to the deaths of over 68,000 Palestinians since that time.
This departure intensifies the increasing examination of Israel’s actions in Gaza, even as both parties profess dedication to a ceasefire facilitated by the US.