Israel’s top military legal officer Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned last week, has been arrested over the leak of a video showing soldiers brutally assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military prison.
Israeli police detained outgoing Military Advocate General Major-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi and retired Colonel Matan Solomesh, the army’s former chief military prosecutor, as part of an ongoing investigation into the unauthorised release of classified footage showing the abuse of a Palestinian detainee in southern Israel.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, Tomer-Yerushalmi was arrested on suspicion of obstruction of justice and breach of trust. Police accuse her of leaking the footage to the media, lying to senior military officials and the Supreme Court, and providing false testimony during the inquiry. The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court has extended her detention by three days. Judge Shelly Kotin said the allegations involve fraud, abuse of power, and disclosure of information by a public servant, adding that her continued custody was warranted.
KAN also reported that messages and testimony suggest Solomesh knew Tomer-Yerushalmi was behind the leak but failed to disclose it during an internal probe. His detention was extended for five days.
Tomer-Yerushalmi’s resignation on Friday marked the end of her term that began in 2021, following weeks of controversy over the leak. In her resignation letter to Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, published by Haaretz, she admitted authorising the material’s release “to counter false propaganda against the military law-enforcement system,” taking “full responsibility” for what was published.
The video, aired by Israel’s N12 News in August 2024, showed Israeli soldiers surrounding a handcuffed Palestinian detainee lying face-down and beating him with riot shields. The prisoner, whose identity was not revealed, was later hospitalised with severe injuries.
In February, military prosecutors charged five soldiers with assault, saying they had beaten the detainee on 5 July 2024, causing multiple fractures and internal rectal tearing. A court imposed a gag order on their identities, and they remain free under no restrictive conditions.
The footage, filmed inside the Sde Teiman detention facility, triggered local and international outrage and renewed calls for its closure. Rights groups have long alleged mistreatment of Palestinians held there, while the army maintains that such incidents are isolated and under investigation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the Sde Teiman incident was “the most damaging” to Israel’s image and that of its army. Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Tomer-Yerushalmi would not return to her post, citing “the gravity of the suspicions,” while far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said she was being kept under strict supervision in custody “for her own safety.”
Tomer-Yerushalmi’s case has divided public opinion in Israel, with right-wing politicians portraying her as disloyal, while others argue her actions exposed serious ethical lapses within the ranks of the military.
A Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines has begun a hunger strike, demanding respect for his fund...
Residents of northern Afghanistan began a clean-up operation on Tuesday after a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake left at least 20 dead and almost 1,0...
Australia will provide households, including renters and those without solar panels, with at least three hours of free solar power daily under a new g...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 4 November, covering the latest developments you need to know....
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that Washington would explore "flexibility" for American troops stationed in South Korea to addres...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 4 November, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The Israeli army says Hamas has transferred the remains of three Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is expected to call at a meeting in Istanbul on Monday for arrangements to be made as soon as possible to ensure the security and administration of Gaza by Palestinians.
The Lebanese government must fulfill its commitment to disarm Hezbollah and remove it from southern Lebanon, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Sunday.
Russia said on Monday that its troops had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they have been trying to capture for over a year, but Ukraine said its forces were holding on.
At least 37 people have died and five are missing after devastating floods and landslides hit central Vietnam, officials said Monday, as a new typhoon threatens to worsen the disaster.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not believe the United States is going to war with Venezuela despite growing tensions, though he suggested President Nicolás Maduro’s time in power may be nearing its end.
On October 21, 2025, an Azerbaijani Airlines (AZAL) Gulfstream G650, call sign 4K-ASG, touched down at Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport. It was a historic event, commented many.
A powerful earthquake measuring 6.3 struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, leaving at least 20 people dead, hundreds injured, and causing significant damage to the city’s famed Blue Mosque, authorities said, warning that the death toll was expected to rise.
AnewZ marks its first year on air. From the dust of an empty shell of a new building in the capital of Azerbaijan to a fully functioning newsroom, life began on the 4 November 2024.
Since 8 August, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been making targeted efforts to consolidate progress and deepen dialogue, Armenian National Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said at a conference in Brussels.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has announced that Germany will provide Ghana with €65 million (approximately $69 million) in development assistance.
Bella Culley, a pregnant British teenager jailed in Georgia for smuggling marijuana and hashish from Thailand, was freed on Monday (November 3) under a plea agreement.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that Tehran will not cooperate with Washington as it continues to support Israel, maintain military bases and interfere in the Middle East Region.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment