Israel’s military announced on Thursday that it would be withdrawing charges against five soldiers who were accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee, an incident that was partially captured on camera. This decision marked the conclusion of a case that had caused significant division within the country since the soldiers were apprehended in 2024 at the infamous Sde Teiman military prison. The arrests had triggered outrage from members of the far-right government and hard-line ultranationalists who had forcefully taken over the prison in protest.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the announcement made on Thursday, while various human rights organizations criticized the military, accusing it of covering up one of the most serious instances of abuse within the country’s network of wartime prisons. Sde Teiman was established after October 7, 2023, to detain Palestinians captured in Gaza during Israel’s conflict with the Hamas militant group. The facility quickly gained a reputation for mistreatment and torture, as reported by employees and released Palestinian detainees.
The allegations gained traction after a leaked video was broadcast by Israeli news outlets, showing soldiers allegedly assaulting a Palestinian prisoner by dragging him on the floor, using a taser on him, and sexually assaulting him, causing severe injuries. The victim was restrained with handcuffs and blindfolded during the incident. He was later taken to an Israeli hospital for treatment before being returned to the prison.
The military justified dropping the charges by stating that the leaked video did not depict abuse violent enough to warrant a criminal conviction and was improperly leaked to the media. Additionally, the decision cited the victim’s return to Gaza, creating uncertainty about his ability to testify in a trial.
Sari Bashi, executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, criticized the military advocate general, stating that the decision granted soldiers the freedom to commit such acts against Palestinians. She highlighted a pattern of whitewashing abuses against detainees that had worsened since October 7, 2023.
The case led to the dismissal of the military’s top legal official at the time of the soldiers’ arrests. In November 2025, Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned following public outcry over the leak of the abuse video. The investigation into her actions involved a search for a missing phone believed to contain evidence against her, which was eventually recovered from the sea.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel had called for the closure of Sde Teiman, alleging that detainees faced severe violence, including assaults with attack dogs and sexual abuse, as well as being subjected to harsh conditions and restrictions. Israel has faced accusations of not holding its soldiers accountable for crimes against Palestinians, particularly during the conflict in Gaza. The country maintains that its forces operate within legal boundaries and investigate all reported abuses thoroughly.