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Israeli military's top lawyer resigns over leaked abuse video
Warning: This report contains descriptions of alleged sexual abuse.
Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Israel's military advocate general, resigned Friday after admitting responsibility for leaking a surveillance video that allegedly shows soldiers sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility in 2024. Her departure follows a criminal investigation launched earlier this week into the leak, which she had defended as a response to claims that reports of detainee abuse were fabricated.
Resignation and political fallout
In her resignation letter, Tomer-Yerushalmi stated she had authorized the release of the material to counter what she described as "false propaganda" against the army's law enforcement. She emphasized the military's obligation to investigate allegations of violence against detainees, writing, "It is our duty to investigate whenever there is reasonable suspicion."
Defence Minister Israel Katz, who had previously barred her return to the post, welcomed the resignation, declaring, "Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army's uniform." The leaked footage, aired by Israel's Channel 12 in August 2024, depicts soldiers isolating a detainee and shielding him with riot gear before allegedly stabbing him in the rectum with a sharp object. The victim required treatment for severe injuries.
Investigation and far-right backlash
Five reserve soldiers face charges of aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm in connection with the incident; all have pleaded not guilty. The video's release sparked outrage among far-right activists, who stormed the Sde Teiman facility in protest during military police questioning of 11 reservists. Right-wing politicians condemned the leak as an attempt to smear the IDF, while human rights groups cited it as evidence of systemic abuse.
The allegations align with a 2024 UN report accusing Israel of subjecting thousands of Gazan detainees-including children-to "widespread and systematic" torture, sexual violence, and psychological abuse, amounting to war crimes. Israel's government rejected the findings, asserting compliance with international legal standards and claiming thorough investigations into all complaints.
Broader context: Detainee abuse claims
The Sde Teiman case is part of a pattern of abuse allegations since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Critics argue the video underscores longstanding concerns about impunity within the military's detention system, while supporters of the IDF dismiss such claims as politically motivated. Tomer-Yerushalmi's resignation leaves unresolved questions about accountability for both the abuse and the leak, as well as the military's handling of detainee treatment during the ongoing conflict.
