Israel drops charges against five soldiers accused of raping Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman prison

Israel's military has dropped all charges against five soldiers accused of sexually assaulting and gang-raping a Palestinian detainee at the notorious Sde Teiman prison in July 2024.

“Amnesty International strongly criticized the decision by the Israeli military attorney general to drop charges against five Israeli soldiers accused of mistreating and sexually assaulting Palestinian prisoners and detainees at the Sde Timan military detention facility”

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This decision has sparked international condemnation amid the ongoing Gaza genocide.

Al-Jazeera Net

The incident occurred at a facility infamous for Palestinian torture, with the soldiers originally indicted for 'severe abuse' after allegedly stabbing the detainee with a sharp object near his rectum.

This caused catastrophic internal injuries including a ruptured bowel, lung damage, and broken ribs.

The decision to dismiss the case came as Israel's attention was focused on its regional war with Iran.

This raises concerns about the timing and political motivations behind the legal move.

The Palestinian victim was hospitalized for his injuries before being returned to Gaza following his release from Israeli custody.

Compelling evidence of the assault existed, including leaked CCTV footage that showed Israeli soldiers forming a human barrier around the Palestinian detainee.

The detainee was pinned against a wall and later lying helpless on the floor.

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The footage, broadcast by Israel's Channel 12, captured the moment soldiers selected the victim from a larger group of Palestinians lying bound on the floor.

Despite polygraph tests indicating that the suspects were lying about inserting an object into the detainee's anus, military prosecutors proceeded with the indictment.

Military prosecutors then abruptly reversed course.

The visual evidence, combined with medical documentation of the victim's severe injuries, provided what human rights groups described as irrefutable proof of the soldiers' crimes.

This evidence was ultimately insufficient to secure a prosecution.

Military Advocate General Itay Offir officially dropped the charges, citing 'defense from justice' due to 'the conduct of senior officials in the Military Advocate General's Corps and the IDF's law enforcement system.'

“As the world is busy with the regional war Israel has ignited against Iran, the Israeli military court dropped charges against five soldiers for raping a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman prison in July 2024”

International Middle East Media Center

He also cited 'procedural difficulty regarding the transfer of relevant investigative materials.'

The decision coincided with Prime Minister Netanyahu's public praise, stating that 'The State of Israel must hunt down its enemies, not its own heroic fighters.'

Defense Minister Israel Katz welcomed the ruling, declaring 'justice has been done' and labeling the case a 'blood libel.'

This term is historically used to incite violence against Jews.

These reactions from Israel's highest officials starkly contrasted with international condemnation.

This highlights the political nature of the legal decision and the systemic impunity enjoyed by Israeli soldiers accused of Palestinian rights abuses.

Human rights organizations and legal experts have condemned the dismissal as a blatant example of institutionalized impunity.

It represents a license for abuse against Palestinian detainees.

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Sari Bashi, executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, stated that 'Israel's military advocate general just gave his soldiers license to rape -- so long as the victim is Palestinian.'

She described the decision as 'the latest in a long line of actions that whitewash abuses against detainees whose frequency and severity have worsened since Oct. 7, 2023.'

Critics argue that the case exemplifies the broader pattern of Israeli military justice system failures.

In these failures, soldiers accused of Palestinian rights abuses routinely face leniency.

Meanwhile, Palestinian detainees are subjected to systematic torture and dehumanization.

The decision came amid Spain's diplomatic escalation against Israel, including the permanent removal of its ambassador.

This reflects growing international concern over Israeli conduct during the Gaza genocide.

The saga took an additional twist when the former top lawyer of the Israeli military, Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, was arrested last year.

“Amnesty International strongly criticized the decision by the Israeli military attorney general to drop charges against five Israeli soldiers accused of mistreating and sexually assaulting Palestinian prisoners and detainees at the Sde Timan military detention facility”

Al-Jazeera Net

This was for her alleged role in leaking the surveillance video that exposed the soldiers' crimes.

Al-Jazeera Net

Tomer-Yerushalmi had approved the video's release, explaining she wanted to demonstrate the severity of the abuse.

She wanted to convince the public that the military had a duty to investigate.

Facing intense pressure from Netanyahu's government, she abruptly resigned and disappeared.

She was only found phoneless on a Tel Aviv beach after a frantic search by authorities.

Her treatment—arrested for exposing what appeared to be clear evidence of war crimes—further illustrates the Israeli military's pattern.

This pattern prioritizes cover-up over accountability.

It creates a climate where those who document abuses face harsher consequences than the perpetrators themselves.