The Israeli military said its top lawyer resigned on Friday during an investigation into a leaked video appearing to show soldiers severely abusing a Palestinian detainee.
The case triggered international outrage and protests within Israel, and focused on footage taken at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel last year.
Sde Teiman has been used to hold Gazans since the start of the war in the Palestinian territory, sparked by Hamas鈥檚 October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
鈥楾he Military Advocate General, MG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, submitted a request this morning to conclude her position,鈥� a military statement said, without specifying the reasons for her resignation.
鈥楾he Chief of the General Staff is confident that a thorough and truthful inquiry will be conducted regarding the matters discussed,鈥� the statement added.
Earlier this week, it was announced that a criminal investigation had been launched into the leaking of footage from Sde Teiman appearing to show the abuse by soldiers.
The Israeli military said in February that it had filed charges against five reservist soldiers connected with the mistreatment.
The statement said they were charged with 鈥榓cting against the detainee with severe violence, including stabbing the detainee鈥檚 bottom with a sharp object, which had penetrated near the detainee鈥檚 rectum鈥�.
It added 鈥榯he acts of violence have caused severe physical injury to the detainee, including cracked ribs, a punctured lung and an inner rectal tear鈥�.
The case was brought before the military justice system after the release of the video.
According to a copy of the military prosecutor鈥檚 resignation letter published by Israeli media on Friday, Tomer-Yerushalmi acknowledged that her office had released information to the media after politically motivated protests tried to thwart the investigation into the abuse.
鈥楾he IDF is a moral and law-abiding army, and therefore, even during a painful and prolonged war, it must investigate illegal acts,鈥� the resignation letter said.
Defence minister Israel Katz welcomed the resignation as 鈥榓 good thing鈥� on Friday.
鈥楾hose who slander IDF soldiers have no place in the army,鈥� he said, according to a statement from his office.
In October 2024, a UN commission found thousands of detainees were subjected to 鈥榳idespread and systematic abuse鈥� in Israeli military camps and detention facilities that amounted to a 鈥榳ar crime and crime against humanity of torture鈥�.
Israel called the accusations 鈥榦utrageous鈥�, adding it was 鈥榝ully committed to international legal standards regarding the treatment of detainees鈥�.