Israel’s top military lawyer resigns amid leaked Palestinian detainee abuse video probe

Israel’s top military legal officer, Major-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, resigned on Friday amid a criminal investigation into the leak of a video allegedly showing soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee during the Gaza war.

Tomer-Yerushalmi, who served as the military’s Advocate General, had been on leave since police began probing how surveillance footage from the Sde Teiman detention facility was leaked earlier this week. Five reserve soldiers have since been charged over the incident.

Before her resignation, Defence Minister Israel Katz said she would not be allowed to return to her post. In her letter, Tomer-Yerushalmi confirmed she had authorised the video’s release in August 2024 — a decision that later sparked political backlash and calls for her dismissal.

“To my regret, this basic understanding — that there are acts to which even the most vile of detainees must not be subjected — is no longer convincing to all,” she wrote, defending the need to uphold the rule of law even during wartime.

Leaked footage triggers outrage

The leaked video, aired by Israel’s N12 News, appeared to show soldiers taking a detainee aside at the Sde Teiman camp, blocking the camera with riot shields and holding a dog nearby. The facility houses Hamas militants captured after the 7 October 2023 attacks, as well as other Palestinians detained during the ensuing conflict.

The footage provoked widespread outrage. Right-wing politicians condemned the investigation as a betrayal of the army, while protesters stormed two military compounds, accusing the legal department of “demonising” soldiers fighting in Gaza.

Tomer-Yerushalmi said she had authorised the release to counter what she described as “smears and propaganda” against the IDF’s legal wing.

Defence Minister Katz later stated that anyone who “fabricates blood libels against Israeli soldiers is unworthy of wearing the IDF uniform.” Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir hailed her resignation and demanded further investigations into the military’s legal leadership. He also posted a video of himself standing over bound Palestinian detainees, calling for the death penalty for those involved in the 7 October attacks.

Mounting scrutiny over detainee abuse

Human rights organisations have repeatedly raised alarm over reports of abuse and mistreatment at detention centres such as Sde Teiman. The Israeli military has acknowledged that dozens of such cases are under investigation but denies that abuse is systemic.

Tomer-Yerushalmi, while describing the detainees as “terrorists of the worst kind”, insisted that “violence must be investigated” regardless of who the victims are.

Her resignation comes as Israel faces growing international scrutiny over its conduct in Gaza. It also follows a recent ceasefire deal under which 1,700 Gaza detainees were released in exchange for 20 Israeli hostages — some of whom later reported being beaten by Hamas captors, allegedly in retaliation for Ben-Gvir’s comments about worsening prison conditions for Palestinians.