Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israel has dropped criminal charges against five reserve soldiers who had been accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility in 2024, according to an announcement by the Israeli military prosecution.
The decision was made by the Israeli military’s chief prosecutor, Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi’s successor, Major General Itai Ofir, who ordered the indictment against the soldiers to be cancelled after reviewing the available evidence and surrounding circumstances of the case.
The original charges alleged that the reservists sexually assaulted a Palestinian prisoner shortly after his transfer to the detention facility, causing severe injuries that reportedly included broken ribs and internal trauma.
In a statement, the Israeli military said the decision to drop the charges followed what it described as “significant developments” in the case and complications related to the available evidence.
The army also cited the release of the detainee and his return to Gaza Strip as part of a ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025, which officials said created additional procedural difficulties in continuing the prosecution.
According to The Times of Israel, the move was considered a “major surprise” given the seriousness of the accusations.
Israeli military officials said that Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir had been informed of the decision and expressed his support for the military prosecutor’s review of the case.
The army added that Zamir had instructed officials to conduct an internal review and draw lessons from the incident in order to prevent similar cases in the future.
The case has also led to internal fallout within Israel’s military legal system. Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned earlier following the leak of a video linked to the investigation, while several other officials were suspended and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against them.
The Sde Teiman detention facility has drawn international attention during the Gaza war due to allegations of mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, which Israeli authorities have repeatedly said are subject to internal investigations and legal oversight.
