Israeli Soldier Jailed for Assaulting Palestinian Detainees from Gaza

 Israeli Soldier Jailed for Assaulting Palestinian Detainees from Gaza

 

An **Israeli military court** has sentenced a soldier to **seven months in prison** after he admitted to **severe mistreatment** of **Palestinian detainees from Gaza** at the **Sde Teiman military detention center** in southern Israel.  

#### **Details of the Abuse**  

According to the **Israel Defense Forces (IDF)**, the **unnamed reservist soldier** was convicted of **punching detainees, using his weapon against them, and humiliating them while they were blindfolded and restrained**. The attacks took place in front of **other soldiers**, some of whom **urged him to stop**, and were recorded on his **mobile phone**.  

Israeli newspaper **Haaretz** reported that the soldier forced detainees to **say degrading phrases, mimic animal sounds, and subjected them to physical abuse**. This case marks the **first conviction of an Israeli soldier** for **mistreatment of Gaza detainees** since the war with **Hamas** began.  

#### **Military Court Ruling**  

The **Beit Lid military court** found the soldier guilty of **three counts of aggravated abuse** and **one count of improper conduct** as part of a **plea bargain**. The court also acknowledged that **masked soldiers**, whose identities remain unknown, participated in **other abuse cases**.  

In addition to **his prison sentence**, the soldier received a **suspended jail term** and **was demoted to the rank of private**.  

#### **Ongoing Reports of Abuse at Sde Teiman**  

The **Sde Teiman detention center**, established after the **Gaza war began 15 months ago**, has been the focus of **numerous abuse allegations**.  

- **In July 2024**, right-wing protesters stormed Sde Teiman after **military police arrested nine reservists** accused of **raping a detainee and causing life-threatening injuries**. Several reservists were later detained.  

- **In October 2024**, a **United Nations investigation** reported that **thousands of Palestinian detainees** had suffered **widespread and systematic physical and psychological abuse**, including **sexual violence and torture**, amounting to **war crimes and crimes against humanity**.  

#### **Israeli Government Response**  

The **Israeli government has denied** widespread allegations of **abuse and torture** of Palestinian detainees, insisting that it remains **fully committed to international legal standards**. Officials claim that **all complaints are thoroughly investigated**.  

#### **Background: Gaza War and Detentions**  

Israel launched its **military campaign against Hamas** following the **October 7, 2023, cross-border attack**, which killed **approximately 1,200 people** and led to **251 hostages being taken**. Since then, **over 47,550 people** have died in Gaza, according to the **Hamas-run Ministry of Health**.  

As of now, **1,802 Palestinian detainees from Gaza** are held in **Israeli prisons** as **"unlawful combatants"**, according to Israeli human rights group **HaMoked**. This figure does not include those held in **military facilities**.  

---  

### **#Israel #Gaza #HumanRights #IDF #WarCrimes #PalestinianDetainees #SdeTeiman #MiddleEastConflict #Hamas #MilitaryJustice**