Five Israeli reserve soldiers have been formally indicted for the violent assault and severe mistreatment of a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military detention facility, according to a report by the Times of Israel. The charges, brought by the Military Advocate General’s Office, detail the attack, which took place on July 5, 2024, when the detainee arrived at the facility.
According to the indictment, the Palestinian detainee—who was blindfolded and restrained with handcuffs and leg shackles—was subjected to a brutal assault by the five accused soldiers, aided by several other members of an Israeli riot control unit.
“For approximately 15 minutes, the accused repeatedly kicked, stomped, and struck the detainee, used batons against him, dragged him across the ground, and even deployed a taser on various parts of his body, including his head,” states the legal filing.
In a particularly egregious act, one of the soldiers allegedly stabbed the detainee near his anus with a sharp object, causing a rectal tear. Roughly an hour later, detention center officials noticed excessive bleeding and transported him to a hospital.
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The detainee sustained multiple traumatic injuries, including seven fractured ribs, a punctured lung, a severe rectal injury, and widespread bruising. The severity of his condition necessitated surgery on his large intestine, and he was fitted with a temporary stoma, which was removed three months later.
This case follows a recent military court ruling earlier this month in which another Israeli reserve soldier received a seven-month prison sentence for abusing and torturing Palestinian prisoners at Sde Teiman.
Sde Teiman has long been associated with reports of prisoner abuse, with similar allegations emerging from other detention centers such as Naqab and Ofer Prisons. Last year, Amnesty International documented testimonies from 27 former detainees who reported experiencing torture at least once during their detention.
Meanwhile, a June report by Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor highlighted the Israeli army’s systematic use of police dogs to attack Palestinian civilians in military operations in Gaza. The organization further alleged that these dogs have been used to intimidate, physically assault, and even sexually abuse detainees in Israeli facilities.
In another alarming incident last July, ten Israeli reserve soldiers serving as guards at Sde Teiman were arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner, resulting in severe injuries.
These latest charges have intensified scrutiny on Israeli military detention practices, with human rights organizations calling for accountability and an end to the systematic mistreatment of Palestinian detainees.
