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Israel’s top military lawyer quits over leak of alleged detainee abuse video
Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigns amid criminal probe into Sde Teiman footage leak and political backlash
Israel’s most senior military legal officer has stepped down after being linked to the leak of a surveillance video that allegedly shows soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention centre.
Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the Israel Defence Forces’ Military Advocate General, tendered her resignation during a meeting with Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir on Wednesday, the IDF confirmed.
She had been on leave since police opened a criminal investigation this week into the unauthorised release of the footage, broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 in August 2024. It reportedly shows troops taking a detainee out of view before he was stabbed with a sharp object, leaving him with severe injuries.
In a resignation letter seen by Israeli media, Tomer-Yerushalmi said she accepted full responsibility for material shared with journalists, insisting the intention was to counter claims that reports of abuse were fabricated. “It is our duty to investigate whenever there is a reasonable suspicion of violence against a detainee,” she wrote.
The IDF said Zamir had “accepted her request to end her position immediately” and vowed to ensure stability within the military’s legal arm while enabling a full inquiry into the leak.
Defence Minister Israel Katz welcomed her departure, saying: “Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army’s uniform.”
The incident has ignited fierce political debate within Israel. After military police questioned 11 reservists about the alleged assault, far-right protesters forced their way into the base demanding the soldiers be defended. Five reservists were later charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious injury – charges they deny.
The video has been cited by human rights groups as corroborating wider allegations of mistreatment of Palestinians detained since Hamas’s 7 October 2023 massacre. Israeli officials reject claims of systematic abuse, saying the state is “fully committed to international legal standards” and investigates any credible complaint.
The chief of staff, the IDF added, remains “confident that a thorough investigation will be conducted to uncover the truth.”
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