Former Israeli Military Prosecutor Arrested After Leaking Palestinian Detainee Abuse Video

Former military prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi vanished for several hours on Sunday following her resignation announcement.

Israeli authorities have detained ex-military prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, according to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday, after she admitted to leaking footage that appeared to show Israeli soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee.

Tomer-Yerushalmi's temporary disappearance on Sunday after announcing her resignation sparked media speculation about a potential suicide attempt.

Israeli media published her resignation letter on Friday, in which she acknowledged her office had released the controversial video to media outlets last year.

Five reservists faced formal charges following the 2024 video leak. The charges included using a "sharp object" to stab the detainee near the rectum.

In a Telegram statement Monday, Ben Gvir noted: "It was agreed that in light of last night's events, the prison service would act with extra vigilance to ensure the detainee's safety in the detention centre where she has been placed in custody."

Ben Gvir emphasized the "importance of... conducting the investigation professionally in order to uncover the full truth regarding the case that led to a blood libel against IDF (military) soldiers." His statement did not specify what charges Tomer-Yerushalmi faces.

Channel 12 reported Monday that police suspected Tomer-Yerushalmi may have staged her disappearance to dispose of her phone, potentially containing compromising information, rather than attempting suicide.

Some Israeli media reported she left behind a letter that could be interpreted as a suicide note.

The Israeli military announced Tomer-Yerushalmi's resignation on Friday, pending an investigation into the leaked footage from the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel last year.

The case emerged in August 2024 when Israel's Channel 12 broadcast surveillance footage from Sde Teiman, a facility used to hold Palestinians captured during the Gaza war.

While the surveillance footage didn't explicitly show illicit acts, as they appeared to occur behind troops holding shields, the video sparked international outrage and protests within Israel after being distributed by multiple media outlets.

In February, the Israeli military announced charges against five reservist soldiers connected to mistreatment at Sde Teiman.

The military statement said they were charged with "acting against the detainee with severe violence, including stabbing the detainee's bottom with a sharp object, which had penetrated near the detainee's rectum."

It added that "the acts of violence have caused severe physical injury to the detainee, including cracked ribs, a punctured lung and an inner rectal tear."

The indictment stated the abuse occurred on July 5, 2024, during a search of the blindfolded and handcuffed detainee in an area adjacent to the prison.

It mentioned various evidence collected during the investigation, including surveillance camera footage and medical documents.

A UN commission found in October 2024 that thousands of detainees experienced "widespread and systematic abuse" in Israeli military camps and detention facilities, amounting to a "war crime and crime against humanity of torture."

Israel dismissed these accusations as "outrageous," stating it was "fully committed to international legal standards regarding the treatment of detainees."