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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Israeli Soldiers Accused of
Raping Palestinian Detainee Defend Actions in Public</h1>
November 4, 2025</div>
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<div><font size="1">Israeli soldiers accused OF sexually
assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman
prison have publicly defended their crime. (Photo:
video grab)
</font>
<p><strong>By <a
href="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/palestine-chronicle-staff"
title="Display all articles for Palestine Chronicle Staff"
moz-do-not-send="true">Palestine Chronicle Staff</a></strong>
</p>
<blockquote>
<h3>The soldiers, wearing black masks to conceal their
identities, made the remarks during a press
conference held outside the Supreme Court in West
Jerusalem.</h3>
</blockquote>
<p>Israeli soldiers accused of torturing and sexually
assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the notorious Sde
Teiman prison have publicly defended their crime and
demanded \u201cgratitude\u201d for their actions, Israeli media
reported.</p>
<p>The soldiers, wearing black masks to conceal their
identities, made the remarks during a press conference
held outside the Supreme Court in West Jerusalem on
Monday.</p>
<p>\u201cI stand here today because I am tired of silence.
Instead of appreciation, we received accusations \u2014
instead of thanks, there was silence,\u201d Israeli Channel
7 quoted one of the accused soldiers, who was
identified by the initial \u201cA\u201d.</p>
<p>\u201cWe were not allowed to respond or explain; we were
given a show trial before cameras, and you had already
decided who was guilty,\u201d he claimed.</p>
<p>The soldier proclaimed, \u201cWe will not remain silent.
We will keep fighting for justice and for our
families. Maybe you tried to break us, but you forgot
that we are the strength of a hundred men.\u201d</p>
<h4>Leaked Footage</h4>
<p>The case dates back to July 2024, when Israeli
soldiers tortured and sexually assaulted a Palestinian
detainee from Gaza inside Sde Teiman in southern
Israel, causing him severe injuries and internal
rectal tearing. Surveillance camera footage of the
atrocity was leaked to the media.</p>
<p>In February, military prosecutors charged five
soldiers over the assault. The indictment says the
soldiers beat the detainee after he was brought to the
facility on July 5, 2024, causing multiple fractures
and internal rectal tearing.</p>
<p>A court imposed a gag order on the defendants\u2019 names.
They are not in custody and face no restrictive
conditions.</p>
<h4>Chief Prosecutor Detained</h4>
<p>On Monday, a Tel Aviv court extended the detention of
former Israeli military prosecutor Yifat
Tomer-Yerushalmi for three days after it emerged that
she had authorized the release of the footage,
sparking global outrage.</p>
<p>Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned on Friday, saying she
allowed the publication of the footage \u201cto counter
false propaganda against law enforcement agencies in
the army.\u201d</p>
<p>She was detained hours after reportedly having gone
missing on Sunday morning, on suspicion of obstruction
of justice and breach of trust, Israel\u2019s public
broadcaster KAN said, according to Anadolu.</p>
<p>The report added that she was interrogated on
accusations of obstructing the investigation, leaking
classified material, and giving false testimony after
being linked to the release of the footage.</p>
<p>Tomer-Yerushalm was arrested along with retired
Colonel Matan Solomesh, the army\u2019s former chief
military prosecutor. According to Anadolu, KAN
reported that messages and testimony in police
possession indicate Solomash knew Tomer-Yerushalmi was
behind the leak but failed to report it when an
internal probe was launched.</p>
<h4>\u2018Damaging\u2019 \u2013 Netanyahu</h4>
<p>The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that prominent
right-wing figures continued to incite against her
after the video surfaced. Defense Minister Israel Katz
said she would not return to her post \u201cdue to the
gravity of the suspicions,\u201d and signaled he will soon
appoint an interim replacement and launch the process
to name a new Military Advocate General.</p>
<p>Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir
said on Telegram that Tomer-Yerushalmi was placed
under strict supervision in custody \u201cfor her own
safety.\u201d</p>
<p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday the
abuse incident at Sde Teiman was \u201cthe most damaging\u201d
to Israel\u2019s image and that of its army.</p>
<p>There are currently over 10,000 Palestinians in
Israeli prisons, including women and children, who
face torture, starvation, and medical neglect,
conditions that have caused numerous deaths, according
to Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations.</p>
<h4>Documented Crimes</h4>
<p>The Anadolu news agency cited Israeli journalist
Yoana Gonen, who criticized the soldiers\u2019 portrayal as
heroes, calling them \u201ca symbol of today\u2019s Israel \u2014 a
nation marked by shame and disgrace.\u201d</p>
<p>Gonen wrote in Haaretz under the title \u201cWhat did we
really want? To torture quietly without the world
finding out and making us uncomfortable,\u201d referring to
the leak as \u201cperhaps the most serious propaganda
attack against Israel since its founding,\u201d while
ignoring the documented crimes in the footage.</p>
<p>\u201cTwo years of indiscriminate destruction in Gaza,
soldiers posting war crimes on TikTok, ministers
boasting of torture, journalists calling for genocide
\u2014 yet only the propaganda leak reminded the system
that the law is supposed to apply,\u201d he said.</p>
<p>Israel has killed close to 69,000 people, mostly
women and children, and injured over 170,000 others in
attacks in Gaza since October 2023.</p>
<p><em>(PC, AA)</em></p>
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