Former Israeli military prosecutor arrested over torture video leak

A Tel Aviv court has ordered former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi to be placed under house arrest for ten days following her involvement in leaking a video depicting Israeli soldiers torturing a Palestinian detainee. The ruling restricts the former senior military prosecutor to her residence except for attorney meetings and prohibits contact with case-related individuals for 55 days.

Investigation into Prison Abuse Footage

The investigation focuses on how footage from the Sde Teiman prison, showing soldiers severely beating and assaulting a Palestinian prisoner, was leaked from Tomer-Yerushalmi's military unit. The video, which emerged in July 2024, documented abuse that resulted in serious injuries to the detainee, who was subsequently released to Gaza in October 2025 according to Haaretz newspaper.

Prosecutor's Admission and Resignation

Tomer-Yerushalmi acknowledged authorizing the leak when resigning from her position on October 31, 2025, stating she had approved the material's release "to counter false propaganda against the military justice system." Her arrest on Monday preceded the house arrest decision, with Defense Minister Israel Katz subsequently confirming she would not return to her position "given the severity of the suspicions surrounding her."

Related Evidence Discovery

In a related development, police recovered a cellphone believed to belong to the former prosecutor after citizens discovered the device on a Herzliya beach. Authorities have seized the phone and launched an investigation into its contents. The case has drawn attention to conditions in Israeli prisons, where human rights organizations report over 10,000 Palestinian detainees face torture, starvation, and medical neglect.