TEL AVIV: A former senior lawyer in the Israeli military has sparked controversy after leaking a video showing Israeli soldiers abusing Palestinian prisoners at a Gaza detention facility.
The footage, which has circulated widely online, has raised serious questions about the military’s treatment of prisoners and the internal divisions within Israel’s security establishment amid the ongoing bombardment campaign in Gaza.
Israeli police have arrested former military advocate general Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi after she admitted leaking a video that showed Israeli soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee.
The case has triggered a major political scandal and renewed scrutiny of Israel’s handling of detainees arrested during the Gaza military offensive.
Tomer-Yerushalmi was detained overnight on Monday, according to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who confirmed the arrest on his Telegram channel.
He said the prison service had been instructed to act “with extra vigilance to ensure the detainee’s safety” while in custody.
Israeli media reported that a Tel Aviv court ordered her remand until Wednesday, with public broadcaster Kan saying she was suspected of fraud and breach of trust, abuse of office, obstruction of justice, and disclosure of classified information by a public servant.
Ben-Gvir described the leak as a “blood libel against IDF soldiers” and urged investigators to “conduct the inquiry professionally to uncover the full truth.”
Disappearance and resignation
The former senior prosecutor disappeared for several hours on Sunday after resigning from her post, sparking speculation of a possible suicide attempt.
Police later said she had been found “safe and in good health” near the coastal area of Herzliya.
Her resignation letter, published by Israeli media on Friday, acknowledged that her office had authorised the release of the footage to the media last year.
“I approved the release of material to the media in an attempt to counter false propaganda against the army’s law enforcement authorities,” she wrote.
Tomer-Yerushalmi added that it was the army’s “duty to investigate whenever there is reasonable suspicion of violence against a detainee.”
Defence Minister Israel Katz condemned her actions, saying: “Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army’s uniform.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later described the leak as “perhaps the most severe public relations attack Israel has faced since its founding.”
Leaked video and Sde Teiman case
The video, first broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 in August 2024, was reportedly filmed at the Sde Teiman military base, where Palestinians detained during the Gaza war were being held.
The surveillance footage showed soldiers surrounding a blindfolded detainee with riot shields before allegedly beating and stabbing him with a sharp object.
The detainee was later treated for serious injuries, including cracked ribs, a punctured lung, and a rectal tear, according to the Israeli military.
Five reservist soldiers were later charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm.
At a news conference in Jerusalem, four of them appeared wearing black balaclavas as their lawyers demanded that the charges be dropped, calling the process “biased and politically motivated.”
Political and legal fallout
The footage sparked international condemnation and protests within Israel. Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth wrote that the exposure of the abuse had “dealt a heavy blow not only to Israel’s image but also to the legitimacy of the Israel Defense Forces.”
Following the broadcast, the military launched an internal probe, and the five soldiers were formally indicted in February 2025.
The alleged abuse took place on 5 July 2024, during a search operation at the Sde Teiman facility.
The case has deepened political divisions in Israel. The right-wing camp has accused Tomer-Yerushalmi of betraying the army, while left-wing groups have hailed her as upholding the rule of law.
International reaction
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry reported in October 2024 that thousands of detainees from Gaza were subjected to “widespread and systematic abuse, physical and psychological violence, and sexual and gender-based crimes amounting to torture and war crimes.”
Israel rejected the report as “outrageous”, insisting that it remains “fully committed to international legal standards regarding the treatment of detainees.”
Israeli media also reported that former chief military prosecutor Colonel Matan Solomosh was arrested alongside Tomer-Yerushalmi in connection with the leak. Police suspect she may have attempted to dispose of her mobile phone before being detained.
