{"id":58117,"date":"2026-03-12T16:22:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T00:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/?p=58117"},"modified":"2026-03-12T16:24:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T00:24:35","slug":"of-course-idf-drops-case-against-soldiers-accused-of-raping-palestinian-prisoner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/of-course-idf-drops-case-against-soldiers-accused-of-raping-palestinian-prisoner\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Of Course\u2019: IDF Drops Case Against Soldiers Accused of Raping Palestinian Prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/israel-defense-forces\">Israel Defense Forces<\/a> on Thursday dismissed the indictments of five soldiers accused of raping a Palestinian prisoner at the notorious Sde Teiman prison in July 2024 \u2013 an attack that sparked worldwide outrage.<\/p>\n<p>The IDF spokesperson\u2019s office <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.idf.il\/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%93%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D\/2026\/%D7%94%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%98%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A7%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%98-%D7%94%D7%A6%D7%91%D7%90%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%A9%D7%99-%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%98%D7%95%D7%9C-%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91-%D7%94%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%AA-%D7%A9%D7%93%D7%94-%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%9F\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> the <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/ynet-pic1.yit.co.il\/picserver6\/wcm_upload_files\/2026\/03\/12\/B1n00rSl5bg\/ASV__HNI.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">decision<\/a> to drop the indictments of five reserve members of Force 100 \u2013 a special unit of the military police responsible for guarding and controlling high-risk detainees \u2013 \u201cwas made following an examination of all the considerations, evidence, and relevant circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmong the factors taken into account were the complexity of the evidentiary basis in the case and the implications of the release of the security detainee to the <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/gaza\">Gaza<\/a> Strip, which created significant consequences for the evidentiary aspect of the case,\u201d the office added. \u201cThese developments created exceptional circumstances that affect the ability to continue the criminal proceedings while preserving the right of the defendants to a fair trial.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Israel is the only state where rape is state policy<\/p>\n<p>Israel\u2019s Military Advocate General Itai Ofir has dropped charges against five Israeli soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility in 2024.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ee7tbEHObY\">pic.twitter.com\/ee7tbEHObY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Furkan G\u00f6z\u00fckara (@FurkanGozukara) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FurkanGozukara\/status\/2032124509742915659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 12, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>The dismissal of the indictments, <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/israel-news\/crime-in-israel\/article-889791\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to <\/a>The Jerusalem Post, does not mean the soldiers have been exonerated.<\/p>\n<p>The five soldiers were caught on video assaulting a Palestinian prisoner at Sde Teiman on July 5, 2024. Although they used riot shields in a bid to conceal the nearly 15-minute attack, medical reports cited in the case show the victim suffered serious rectal injuries requiring surgery, a ruptured bowel, punctured lung, and fractured ribs. An Israeli medical staffer said that the victim arrived at the hospital in critical condition.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu \u2013 who is <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/icc-arrest-warrant-netanyahu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wanted<\/a> by the <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/international-criminal-court\">International Criminal Court<\/a> in The Hague for alleged <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/war-crimes\">war crimes<\/a> and crimes against humanity in Gaza \u2013 <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/netanyahu\/status\/2032120342919987651\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">welcomed<\/a> the dismissal of the indictments, which he said had \u201cdamaged Israel\u2019s reputation in the world in an unprecedented manner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Israeli President Israel Katz raised eyebrows by asserting that \u201cthe role of the IDF\u2019s legal system is to protect and safeguard IDF soldiers who engage heroically in war against cruel monsters, and not the rights of the terrorists of <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/hamas\">Hamas<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu and Katz both called the prosecution of the Sde Teiman reservists a \u201cblood libel.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:pwsjq3xnal6auzgeqho4ecw7\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mgusre5fj22u\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreifgmptlwrk3gwnghnxvdcymxybbm6uziebaehe74lrmqjjwyionya\">\n<p lang=\"en\">The Defense Minister of Israel says it was &#34;blood libel&#34; to go after Israeli soldiers caught on camera raping a Palestinian.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:pwsjq3xnal6auzgeqho4ecw7?ref_src=embed\">Prem Thakker \u30c4 (@premthakker.bsky.social)<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:pwsjq3xnal6auzgeqho4ecw7\/post\/3mgusre5fj22u?ref_src=embed\">2026-03-12T16:24:09.323Z<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/embed.bsky.app\/static\/embed.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich similarly welcomed the dismissals, declaring that \u201cnow all that\u2019s left is to ensure that the ousted military advocate general stands trial.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Smotrich was referring to Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/sde-teiman-video-arrest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">admitted<\/a> last year to authorizing the leak of the Sde Teiman assault video in order to \u201cconfront the false propaganda against the law enforcement officials in the military\u201d by those who denied the allegations against the soldiers.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/human-rights\">Human rights<\/a> groups and others condemned the decision to kill the case, with the Public Committee Against <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/torture\">Torture<\/a> in Israel (PCATI) posting on <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/social-media\">social media<\/a> that \u201cIsrael\u2019s military attorney general granted his soldiers a rape license\u2014as long as the victim was Palestinian.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>PCATI said that dismissing the indictments \u201cadds to a long series of decisions and actions taken by the army&#8230; which cover up the violent violations that have occurred in Israeli <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/prisons\">prisons<\/a> and detention facilities Increasingly since October 7, 2023.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Contrasting the failure to hold the reservists accountable with the draconian prison sentences given to <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/palestinians\">Palestinians<\/a> who resist Israel\u2019s illegal occupation, US Congresswoman <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/ilhan-omar\">Ilhan Omar<\/a> (D-Minn.) <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/ilhanmn.bsky.social\/post\/3mgv6jve35s2l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> on Bluesky: \u201cJust so that we are clear, Israel drops criminal charges on five Israeli soldiers who were caught on camera sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee. But Israel will keep kids in prison for decades because they were throwing rocks? Make it make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Canadian journalist Justin Ling <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/justinling.ca\/post\/3mguttbmkvk2t\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said <\/a>that \u201cthe abuse inflicted on Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman prison \u2013 including the murder of a Palestinian doctor\u2014was inhumane.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis one case, brought because the abuse was *caught on camera*, was a small sign that <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/rule-of-law\">rule of law<\/a> in Israel still worked,\u201d he added. \u201cThe Israeli government has dropped the case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Israeli-American academic Shaiel Ben-Ephraim also <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/academic_la\/status\/2032111423023886455\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted<\/a> the strength of the case, including the video footage of the assault.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey had witness testimony,\u201d he added. \u201cIt was a slam-dunk case. Guards I talked to in Sde Teiman said this case was just the tip of the iceberg. And now they are dropping the charges. Of course.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Former Palestinian prisoners, IDF soldiers, and Israeli medical professionals have all said they witnessed torture and other abuse of detainees at Sde Teiman and other facilities. Victims ranged in age from <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/children\">children<\/a> to the elderly.<\/p>\n<p>According to an <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.972mag.com\/98-palestinian-deaths-israeli-custody-prison-torture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">analysis<\/a> by Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, at least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons and military detention centers during the war. Many bodies of former Palestinian prisoners returned by Israel have <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/palestinian-prisoners-tortured\" target=\"_self\">shown signs<\/a> of torture, execution, and mutilation.<\/p>\n<p>The IDF has <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/idf-says-it-is-probing-deaths-of-several-gazans-at-its-detention-centers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced investigations<\/a> into the deaths of dozens of Palestinian prisoners in its custody during the genocidal war on <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/gaza\">Gaza<\/a> launched after the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Nine Israeli soldiers were initially arrested in connection with the recorded Sde Teiman assault. Five of them were indicted in February 2025.<\/p>\n<p>While many Israelis condemned the alleged rape of the Sde Teiman prisoner, others rallied around the accused soldiers \u2013 especially on the far right. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir hailed the reservists as \u201cour best heroes.\u201d Smotrich called them \u201cheroic warriors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Smotrich and others <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/sde-teiman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">demanded<\/a> an investigation into the video showing the attack\u2014not in order to seek justice for the victim, but rather to find out who leaked the damning footage.<\/p>\n<p>The soldiers\u2019 arrests outraged many on the Israeli right. At least one Cabinet member and several members of the Knesset, Israel\u2019s legislative body, joined a mob that in August 2024 <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/sde-teiman-riot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stormed two military bases<\/a> where they believed the arrested suspects were being held.<\/p>\n<p>Other Israelis, including journalist Yehuda Schlesinger, called for <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ireallyhateyou\/status\/1821121616094412908\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legalizing the torture<\/a> of Palestinian prisoners, because \u201cthey deserve it,\u201d and \u201cit\u2019s great revenge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Israel <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/hamas-oct-7-rape\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blocked<\/a> a request from <a class=\"rm-stats-tracked\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/united-nations\">United Nations<\/a> sex crimes experts to probe alleged sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas fighters during the October 7, 2023 attack, reportedly to avoid attendant scrutiny of rapes and other abuses allegedly committed by Israeli forces against imprisoned Palestinians.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday dismissed the indictments of five soldiers accused of raping a Palestinian prisoner at the notorious Sde Teiman prison in July 2024 \u2013 an attack that sparked worldwide outrage. The IDF spokesperson\u2019s office said the decision to drop the indictments of five reserve members of Force 100 \u2013 a special [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":372,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"coauthors":[806],"class_list":["post-58117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"meta_box":{"disable_donate_message":"0","custom_donate_message":"","subtitle":"\u201cIsrael\u2019s military attorney general just gave his soldiers license to rape \u2013 so long as the victim is Palestinian,\u201d said one Israeli rights group."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/372"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58117"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58122,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58117\/revisions\/58122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58117"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=58117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}