In a dramatic turn of events that has sent shockwaves through Israel’s military and political establishment, former Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was arrested on November 3, 2025, following her resignation and a mysterious disappearance, all linked to the leak of a video showing Israeli soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military base. The scandal has not only exposed troubling allegations of detainee abuse but has also ignited fierce debate over accountability, transparency, and the rule of law at the highest levels of Israel’s defense and justice systems.
Tomer-Yerushalmi’s arrest, which also saw the detention of former Chief Military Prosecutor Col. Matan Solomosh (also referred to in some outlets as Solorash), marks the latest chapter in a saga that has gripped the nation since the video surfaced in August 2024. The footage, originally broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12, allegedly documented soldiers committing acts of severe violence against a blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman, a detention center in the Negev Desert used to hold Palestinians captured during the Gaza conflict. The abuse, which took place on July 5, 2024, reportedly resulted in horrific injuries: cracked ribs, a punctured lung, and an inner rectal tear caused by stabbing with a sharp object, according to official statements cited by BBC and other major outlets.
The release of the video set off a firestorm both internationally and within Israel. Human rights organizations, foreign governments, and Israeli protesters alike condemned the incident, demanding accountability. The Israeli military responded in February 2025 by charging five reservists with “acting against the detainee with severe violence,” as reported by BBC. The evidence included surveillance footage and medical records, painting a grim picture of what transpired behind the shields of the soldiers captured on camera.
The fallout from the video’s leak soon expanded beyond the immediate perpetrators. According to The Times of Israel, Tomer-Yerushalmi, then Israel’s top military legal officer, admitted to authorizing the release of the footage. In her resignation letter, published by Israeli media, she acknowledged her office’s role in leaking the video, claiming it was an effort to “fend off false propaganda directed against military law enforcement authorities.” Her resignation became public on November 1 or 2, 2025, just before her disappearance.
On November 2, 2025, Tomer-Yerushalmi’s family reported her missing after she failed to return home. A massive search ensued, involving police, soldiers, and volunteers. Her car was found abandoned near Hof HaTzuk in Tel Aviv, and at home and in her vehicle, she left notes—one reportedly reading, “Children, I love you, be strong.” Some Hebrew-language outlets described these as suicide notes, raising fears for her safety. Eventually, she was found alive on a beach in Herzliya, about 300 meters from her car, wearing civilian clothes. She reportedly contacted her husband from another person’s phone, according to i24NEWS.
After a medical check-up, Tomer-Yerushalmi was taken into custody. Police also detained Col. Matan Solomosh, who had recently completed his tenure as chief military prosecutor. Both were suspected of obstruction of justice, breach of trust, and abuse of office, among other charges, all related to the leak and an alleged subsequent cover-up. According to i24NEWS, investigators believe Tomer-Yerushalmi’s disappearance may have been orchestrated to facilitate the disappearance of her mobile phone, which could contain compromising information about the leak and related communications. The investigation has reportedly widened, implicating about ten senior officers from within the prosecution, with WhatsApp conversations ahead of the leak now under scrutiny.
On November 3, 2025, the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court ordered Tomer-Yerushalmi’s remand in custody until at least November 5, while authorities continued their investigation. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Prisons Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi decided she would be held under increased supervision to ensure her safety. Ben Gvir emphasized the need for a professional investigation, stating on Telegram, “It was agreed that in light of last night’s events, the prison service would act with extra vigilance to ensure the detainee’s safety in the detention center where she has been placed in custody.”
The political reverberations have been intense. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing his Cabinet on November 3, laid blame for the damage squarely at Tomer-Yerushalmi’s feet. He declared, “perhaps the most severe public relations attack the State of Israel has experienced since its establishment” had been caused by the leak, which he said “caused immense damage to the image of the State of Israel and the IDF, to our soldiers.” Netanyahu called for an “independent, impartial investigation,” underscoring the seriousness with which the government views the scandal.
The case has exposed deep rifts within Israel’s legal and political circles. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, on November 2, ordered outgoing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to refrain from investigating the leak, alleging she had obstructed the probe and made false statements to the High Court of Justice. Baharav-Miara rejected the demand, insisting there was “no factual or legal basis” for her exclusion. The Cabinet had previously attempted to dismiss her, but the High Court froze the decision pending legal proceedings.
The Sde Teiman scandal has also drawn renewed attention to broader allegations of detainee abuse. In October 2024, a United Nations commission found that thousands of detainees in Israeli military facilities had been subjected to “widespread and systematic abuse” amounting to “war crimes and crimes against humanity of torture.” Israel has categorically denied these charges, calling them “outrageous” and insisting on its commitment to international legal standards regarding detainee treatment.
As the investigation into the leak and its aftermath continues, the Israeli public is left grappling with difficult questions about transparency, accountability, and the moral responsibilities of those tasked with upholding the law—even, or especially, in times of war. The editorial board of Yedioth Ahronoth captured the mood, writing, “The exposure of the brutal abuse... at the Sde Teiman detention site dealt a heavy blow not only to Israel’s image but also to its legitimacy and that of the Israel Defense Forces.”
With court hearings ongoing, the fate of Tomer-Yerushalmi, Solomosh, and others implicated in the scandal remains uncertain. The coming weeks promise further revelations, as investigators sift through evidence and the nation—and the world—await answers.
