Israeli Soldiers Accused of Sde Teiman Assault Sue Israel for $6 Million
Three Israeli reservists accused of sexually assaulting and severely abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military prison are suing the Israeli state for 18 million shekels, roughly $6 million.
The soldiers, members of the Israeli military’s Force 100 reserve unit, filed the lawsuit through the right-wing legal aid organisation Honenu. They are seeking damages from 17 defendants, including the Israeli state, military and police authorities, senior legal officials and journalist Guy Peleg, who broadcast footage of the alleged assault.
The men were among five reservists indicted in February 2025 over the July 2024 assault. According to the indictment, the blindfolded and handcuffed detainee was beaten, kicked, dragged, tasered and stabbed with a sharp object, suffering severe internal injuries, broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Surveillance footage of the incident was leaked and broadcast by Channel 12 in August 2024, prompting widespread condemnation. The UN human rights office described the footage as shocking.
Earlier this year, military prosecutors dropped the charges against the five reservists, citing what they described as a lack of key evidence after the detainee returned to Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the decision.
The three reservists now allege wrongful suspicion, unlawful detention, defamation, a wrongful indictment and mishandling of the investigation into the leaked footage. Their lawsuit includes millions of shekels in claimed damages over the allegations and subsequent legal proceedings.
Human rights groups have condemned the decision to drop the criminal case, accusing Israeli authorities of failing to adequately prosecute alleged abuses against Palestinian detainees.
