Israeli police detained former Military Prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi on Monday for allegedly leaking surveillance video that revealed brutal abuse of a Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman base, escalating a controversy that has drawn global condemnation. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced the arrest on Telegram, pledging heightened prison oversight after Tomer-Yerushalmi vanished briefly Sunday post-resignation, fuelling suicide rumours. Her office admitted in a leaked letter to sharing the 2024 footage with media, leading to charges against five reservists for "severe violence", including rectal stabbing with a sharp object.
The incident traces to July 5, 2024, when soldiers at the southern Israel facility—holding Gaza captives since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks—blindfolded and assaulted a prisoner, inflicting cracked ribs, a punctured lung, and internal tears. Channel 12 aired obscured clips in August, showing troops shielding the acts, sparking Israeli protests and international fury. Military indictments followed in February 2025, backed by medical reports and cameras, yet Ben-Gvir decried the exposure as a "blood libel" against IDF personnel.
Tomer-Yerushalmi's Sunday disappearance, amid reports of a possible suicide note, ended with her location; authorities now probe if she faked it to destroy evidence on her phone. Resigning Friday pending inquiry, she became the scandal's focal point, with police withholding formal charges. The case exposes rifts in Israel's handling of over 4,000 Gaza detainees transferred to civilian prisons amid overcrowding allegations at military sites like Sde Teiman.
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A UN commission in October 2024 deemed such abuses "widespread and systematic", constituting war crimes and torture—findings Israel dismissed while vowing legal compliance. Rights groups demand independent probes, citing impunity patterns in occupied territories.
As the Gaza war surpasses 25,000 Palestinian deaths per health ministry figures, this arrest highlights whistleblower risks versus accountability needs. Ben-Gvir's "professional" investigation promise contrasts UN calls for transparency. With Sde Teiman partially evacuated, the saga underscores detention reforms' urgency, balancing security claims against humanitarian law amid stalled ceasefires. Tomer-Yerushalmi's fate may set precedents for future leaks in conflict zones.
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