Israeli army’s top legal officer resigns amid probe into leaked Gaza detainee abuse video

“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 in her resignation letter, defending the need to uphold the rule of law even in wartime.

Video leak and public backlash

The leaked footage, aired by Israel’s N12 News, appeared to show soldiers taking a detainee aside at the Sde Teiman detention camp, blocking the camera’s view with riot shields and holding a dog nearby. The camp holds Hamas militants captured after the October 7, 2023 attacks, as well as Palestinians detained in the months of fighting that followed.

The release triggered uproar inside Israel. Five soldiers were charged in connection with the abuse, while right-wing politicians denounced the inquiry as a betrayal of the military. Protesters stormed two army compounds after investigators summoned troops for questioning, accusing the legal department of “demonising” soldiers fighting in Gaza.

Tomer-Yerushalmi, who had defended the military’s internal probes, said she authorised the video’s release to counter what she called “smears and propaganda” against the IDF’s legal wing.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said earlier this week that the Advocate General had been placed on forced leave amid the ongoing probe into the leak. Following Tomer-Yerushalmi’s resignation, he declared 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 the resignation and demanded further investigations into military legal authorities. He also released a video of himself standing over bound Palestinian detainees, calling for the death penalty for October 7 attackers.

Rights groups have repeatedly raised alarm over reports of abuse and torture in Israeli detention camps like Sde Teiman. Israel’s military has acknowledged that dozens of cases are under investigation but insists that mistreatment is not systemic.

Tomer-Yerushalmi, while describing the detainees as “terrorists of the worst kind,” stressed that “violence must be investigated” regardless of the victims’ identity.

Her departure comes as Israel faces growing international scrutiny over its conduct during the Gaza war — and as 1,700 Gaza detainees were recently released under a ceasefire deal in exchange for 20 Israeli hostages. Some freed hostages later reported being beaten by their Hamas captors, allegedly in retaliation for Ben-Gvir’s boasts about worsening prison conditions for Palestinians.