Israeli authorities have detained Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the country’s former top military lawyer, on allegations of orchestrating a fake suicide attempt to dispose of a phone containing incriminating evidence. The case revolves around a leaked video purportedly showing Israeli soldiers gang-raping a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention camp. Tomer-Yerushalmi went missing on Sunday, leaving an ambiguous note and abandoning her car near a beach. She was later found alive and taken into police custody. Israeli Channel 12 reported that she allegedly staged the suicide attempt to discard her phone, which she threw into the sea. The video, leaked in August 2023, sparked widespread outrage and led to a criminal investigation by the Israeli army. Tomer-Yerushalmi admitted to leaking the footage, claiming it was to counter pressure from far-right groups attacking the Military Advocate General’s office. The scandal has drawn significant attention, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for an independent investigation, describing the leak as a severe propaganda attack on Israel. The case has also highlighted broader allegations of systemic abuse of Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces, including sexual violence and torture, as documented by the UN. Despite investigations, prosecutions of Israeli soldiers for such crimes remain rare, raising concerns about impunity.
Ex-Israeli army legal chief ‘stages suicide’ amid Palestinian prisoner rape scandal
