Israeli Military Advocate General Resigns Over Abuse Video

Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer‑Yerushalmi, the Israel Defense Forces’ military advocate general, resigned after admitting she approved leaking surveillance footage from the Sde Teiman detention facility that appeared to show soldiers severely abusing a Palestinian detainee. The video, aired in August 2024, shows soldiers taking the detainee aside, surrounding him with riot shields, and the detainee later being treated for severe injuries; the BBC reported the clip included an apparent rectal stabbing. Five reservists have been charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm; they deny the charges. Military police opened a criminal inquiry into the leak; Tomer‑Yerushalmi was put on leave, expected to be questioned, and the IDF chief of staff accepted her resignation. The case has provoked fierce political reaction — Defense Minister Israel Katz called the allegations "blood libels," while right‑wing protesters have stormed bases to block arrests amid broader allegations by rights groups and UN investigators of widespread abuse in Israeli detention during the Gaza war.