The incident began with the leak of footage recorded in 2024 at the Sde Teiman military detention facility in southern Israel. The video showed Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting and torturing a Palestinian detainee captured from Gaza. When the footage was broadcast on Channel 12 television in August 2024, it sparked an international outcry.

The then Military Advocate General, Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who was said to have leaked the video to the media, resigned from her position. Long targeted by Israel’s far-right circles, Yerushalmi disappeared following her resignation. Leaving a note for her family and initially believed to have committed suicide, she was found alive after hours of searching and taken into custody.

“The Greatest Damage to the State’s Image”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the leaked video caused “the greatest damage ever done to the country’s international image.” Netanyahu accused Yerushalmi of “targeting the soldiers.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also announced that “all necessary sanctions” would be imposed against the attorney general, calling for her rank to be revoked.

Scandalous Statement from Masked Soldiers

The Israeli soldiers at the center of the scandal held a press conference in front of the Supreme Court in West Jerusalem, their faces covered. According to Israel’s Channel 7 television, one of the soldiers said “I’m tired of silence. We expected thanks, but instead we were blamed.”

The soldier claimed that they had been subjected to a “staged trial,” adding “The decision on who the criminals are has already been made. We will not be silenced; we will continue to fight for justice and for our families.”

Torture Footage from Sde Teiman and Political Reactions

The leaked video showed soldiers surrounding a Palestinian detainee, subjecting him to sexual torture, and attempting to conceal themselves from security cameras. The Israeli Military Prosecution launched an investigation into nine soldiers involved in the incident on charges of “torture, perversion, and attempting to violate bodily integrity.”

Following the release of the footage, far-right groups and several members of parliament staged a protest outside the Sde Teiman base in July 2024. When the soldiers were about to be detained, the same groups stormed the military facility, attempting to obstruct the judicial process.

Conflict Between Law and Politics in the Army

In her resignation letter, Yerushalmi wrote that threats against her and the officers of the legal unit had intensified because they sought to uphold the rule of law within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

“There are things that must not be done, even to the worst of prisoners”

Her words sparked widespread debate across the country.