Soldiers implicated in Sde Teiman Affair sue IDF, police, several others for defamation - report
The lawsuit reportedly alleges false accusations, a widely publicized wrongful arrest, the leaking of investigative materials, and defamation stemming from the publication of the video.
According to Israeli media reports, soldiers from Force 100 of the IDF are suing the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), police, and several other individuals and institutions for defamation. The lawsuit, filed by the legal aid organization Honenu, seeks NIS 18 million against 17 defendants. The allegations include false accusations, wrongful arrest, leaking of investigative materials, defamation from the publication of a video, and improper handling of the leak investigation.
The lawsuit centers on the Sde Teiman Affair, an incident that took place at a detention facility in July 2024. IDF reservists were accused of severely abusing a Palestinian detainee from Gaza. The alleged assault occurred during the early months of the war and was investigated by the Justice Ministry's Police Investigation Department (PID). As a result of the investigation, several soldiers were indicted on charges of aggravated injury and aggravated assault.
However, the case gained significant public attention after video footage documenting the alleged abuse was leaked to the media in late 2024, despite an ongoing investigation. This sparked widespread outrage and led to the cancellation of the indictment in February 2025 by Maj.-Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who headed the military court.
In March 2025, Tomer-Yerushalmi's successor, Maj.-Gen. Itay Offir, also canceled the indictment, citing evidentiary difficulties and the scandal surrounding the leaked video. The case remained under investigation until February 2026, when the police concluded their probe. The Israel Police head, Daniel Levi, recommended appointing a senior external professional to review the case and suggested waiting for the Justice Ministry's legal adviser to provide an opinion on a potential conflict-of-interest issue.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
