Israel’s former top military lawyer, Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, has been arrested as authorities investigate the leaking of a video that allegedly shows Israeli soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee.
The footage, filmed at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel, has sparked a political and public storm over the conduct of troops and the army’s internal accountability.
Found Safe After Brief Disappearance
Tomer-Yerushalmi’s arrest came hours after she was reported missing on Sunday, triggering a major police search along the coast north of Tel Aviv.
Police later confirmed she was found safe and in good condition near Herzliya, before being taken into custody for questioning.
According to Israeli media, she was detained alongside Colonel Matan Solomosh, the army’s former chief military prosecutor. Police described both arrests as linked to “leaking and other serious criminal offences.”
Background: Leaked Footage and Allegations
The controversy centres on a video broadcast in August 2024 by an Israeli television network. It purportedly shows reservists at Sde Teiman assaulting a Palestinian prisoner — shielding the act from view before allegedly beating and stabbing the man with a sharp object.
The detainee later required hospital treatment for serious injuries.
Following the broadcast, five reservists were charged with aggravated assault and severe bodily harm. All deny wrongdoing.
On Sunday, four of them appeared at a press conference outside Israel’s Supreme Court, faces covered, claiming they were victims of a politically motivated prosecution.
Their attorney, Adi Keidar from the right-wing legal organisation Honenu, called the case “biased” and “completely fabricated.”
Resignation Before Arrest
Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned from her position as Military Advocate General on Friday after Defence Minister Israel Katz said she would not be reinstated while the investigation was underway.
In her resignation letter, she admitted authorising the release of certain materials to the press “to counter false propaganda” against the army’s legal system, and said she accepted “full responsibility” for the leak.
“It is our duty to investigate whenever there is reasonable suspicion of violence against a detainee,” she wrote.
Katz harshly criticised her actions, saying, “Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF soldiers is unfit to wear the uniform.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later described the leak as “one of the most damaging public relations attacks Israel has faced since its founding.”
Broader Political Divide
The Sde Teiman case has deepened divisions within Israeli society.
Many on the right see the leak as a betrayal of the military, while critics and human rights advocates argue that Tomer-Yerushalmi acted to uphold transparency and the rule of law.
In July 2024, when military investigators arrived at the base to question soldiers, far-right protesters — including several coalition lawmakers — stormed the facility to express support for the accused reservists.
The Detainee and Wider Context
The detainee shown in the video was later released to Gaza in October 2024 as part of a prisoner-hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas.
Human rights monitors and UN investigators have repeatedly accused Israel of mistreating Palestinian prisoners, particularly since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks.
A UN commission of inquiry last year alleged that Palestinian detainees from Gaza had been subjected to torture, physical and psychological abuse, and sexual violence, calling such acts potential war crimes.
Israel has rejected those allegations, insisting that its military operates under strict legal standards and that all credible complaints are investigated.
Investigation Ongoing
Israeli police have yet to confirm formal charges against Tomer-Yerushalmi or Solomosh. Both remain under investigation as forensic and intelligence units continue to trace the source and dissemination of the leaked video.
The Israeli military and government have not commented further on the ongoing case.
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