The Israeli military’s chief legal officer, Advocate General Major-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, resigned on Friday. Her resignation is connected to a criminal inquiry concerning the leak of a video. The video appeared to show soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee arrested during the Gaza conflict.
In her resignation statement, Tomer-Yerushalmi confirmed she was stepping down because she had authorised the leak of the video in August 2024. The footage, leaked to an Israeli news channel, showed soldiers crowding around a detainee. They used their riot gear to block the view of their actions.
The leaked video intensified a pre-existing criminal investigation into alleged abuse at the Sde Teiman detention facility. The case had already sparked significant public outrage, with right-wing politicians condemning the inquiry and protesters storming two military compounds.
IDF Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned shortly after Defense Minister Katz sought to dismiss her over alleged ties to the Sde Teiman abuse video leak probe, shaking Israel’s defense ranks.
✍️ @jeremybob1 https://t.co/bE5xxTopbS
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) October 31, 2025Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Wednesday that a criminal inquiry into the video leak was ongoing. He stated that Tomer-Yerushalmi had been placed on forced leave.
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In her resignation letter, the Advocate General defended her actions as an attempt to counter what she described as propaganda. She stated that while the Sde Teiman detainees were “terrorists of the worst kind,” there was still an obligation to investigate suspected abuses.
The resignation prompted swift and divergent reactions from Israeli politicians. Defence Minister Katz stated that anyone who fabricates “blood libels against Israeli soldiers was unworthy of donning IDF uniform.”
Conversely, Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir welcomed the resignation. He called for further inquiries into the military’s legal authorities. The incident highlights the deep political divisions within Israel regarding the conduct of military operations and the legal oversight of detainee treatment.
