Israeli Top Military Lawyer Detained After Leaking Palestinian Detainee Assault

Tel Aviv: Israel’s top military legal officer, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, has been arrested after admitting to leaking video footage that exposed the rape of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli occupation soldiers.

According to Israeli media, Tomer-Yerushalmi — who served as the Military Advocate General — faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, abuse of authority, obstruction of justice, and unauthorized disclosure of official information.

In her resignation letter last week, Tomer-Yerushalmi said she approved the release of the video to counter growing public criticism of military prosecutors and investigators handling the case.

The arrest marks a major turn in a case that has deepened divisions within Israel’s military and judicial system and intensified international scrutiny amid ongoing war crimes allegations in Gaza.

The controversy began after a July 2024 raid at Sde Teiman detention camp, where prosecutors accused 11 Israeli soldiers of sexually assaulting and torturing a Palestinian detainee from Gaza. The indictment described the assault as violent, leaving the victim with severe internal injuries.

Tomer-Yerushalmi’s decision to open an investigation drew strong backlash from right-wing politicians and government figures, who labelled the accused soldiers as “heroes” and called the investigators “traitors.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Sde Teiman case caused “immense damage” to Israel’s image, calling it one of the country’s worst public relations crises.

In August 2024, amid rising political pressure and protests — including a demonstration led by a cabinet minister and two Knesset members — Tomer-Yerushalmi released the footage. She later said the leak was meant to “defend army law enforcement bodies from false propaganda.”

While five soldiers were later charged with aggravated abuse and serious bodily harm, Israeli media reported that none were detained or suspended from duty.

Sources told Haaretz that after facing threats and political pressure, Tomer-Yerushalmi refused to open further war crimes investigations into military actions in Gaza.

Legal experts say her arrest highlights growing tension between military loyalty and judicial independence in Israel, and raises questions about the country’s ability to defend itself against international war crimes allegations.