A video, broadcast on Israeli television last August and then circulated on social media, shows soldiers surrounding a Palestinian, punching him and stabbing him in the anus with a sharp object. The Palestinian suffered serious injuries.

After the video was released, five soldiers were charged with grievous bodily harm and torture, but all deny the charges. Their defenders claim that the trial is politically motivated and intended to embarrass the Israeli military.

Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was suspended shortly after the investigation into the source of the video began, and then issued a resignation statement on Friday, taking responsibility for revealing the video. She wrote that she shared the video with the media to curb false propaganda against military justice, and that it is the military's duty to investigate any case of violence against prisoners.

According to UN data from October 2024, thousands of Palestinian detainees, including children, have been subjected to systematic physical, psychological and sexual violence, which the UN commission assessed as amounting to war crimes. The Israeli government denies the allegations, saying it respects international law and investigates all alleged cases of abuse.

Defense Minister Israel Katz  said harshly:"Anyone who insults IDF soldiers is not worthy of a military uniform." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added that this was perhaps the worst blow to Israel's reputation since its founding.

Reported her missing

Just hours after the resignation, police announced that the general had disappeared. Her relatives reported her missing to the police. On Sunday, they launched a search operation on the coast north of Tel Aviv. After several hours, she was found in Herzliya and immediately arrested. Former military prosecutor Colonel Matan Solomosh was also detained with her, and both are suspected of revealing confidential information and other crimes.

The case has caused political and social divisions in Israel. The right-wing believes that the release of the video is treason and an attempt to defame the military, while the left claims that Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi acted in accordance with the principles of the law and showed the public the reality of the treatment of prisoners.