NAZARETH, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Israeli Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir has canceled the indictment against five Israeli reserve soldiers who were accused of sexually assaulting and torturing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military detention facility in 2024, in what observers say reflects efforts to shield Israeli forces from accountability for abuses committed during the war on Gaza.
According to details in the indictment filed last year, the five soldiers violently attacked the detainee shortly after he was transferred to the detention center. He was reportedly subjected to severe beatings and physical abuse that left him with serious injuries, including broken ribs and an internal tear in the rectum.
The Israeli military said the decision to drop the charges came after what it described as “significant developments” in the case since the indictment was filed, as well as a review of the available evidence and surrounding circumstances, according to The Times of Israel.
The army added that among the reasons for dismissing the charges were what it called the “complexity of the evidence,” as well as the detainee’s release and return to the Gaza Strip under a ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously said that footage circulating online showing the assault on the Palestinian detainee caused significant damage to Israel’s international image.
In a related development, Israeli Army Minister Israel Katz announced in October the dismissal of the military’s chief prosecutor, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, amid suspicions that she leaked a video documenting the violent assault on the detainee inside the camp.
Israeli Channel 12 had aired footage in the summer of 2024 showing Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman facility, sparking widespread outrage on social media.
According to Israeli media reports at the time, the detainee suffered severe injuries, including intestinal tears, serious damage to the anus and lungs, and broken ribs as a result of the assault inside the detention center.
