In July 2024, ten soldiers were arrested on suspicion of abuse at the notorious prison at the Israeli military base Sde Teiman in southern Israel. The arrest sparked widespread anger and protests in Israeli settler and right-wing circles.
Five of the soldiers have been charged with assault and sexual assault of a Palestinian prisoner. According to the indictment, the prisoner suffered serious injuries in the attack, including broken ribs and a ruptured rectum.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced that the charges against the five soldiers were dropped, citing a "significant development" that had occurred in the case since the charges were filed.
The decision was said to have been made because of the "complexity of the existing evidence," and the military cited, among other things, that the former prisoner is now in Gaza and the "exceptional actions" of senior officials in the case.
In August 2024, Israeli media published a leaked surveillance video purporting to show the assault. A chief prosecutor for the Israeli army later resigned and was arrested for leaking the footage.
Both UN agencies and Israeli rights groups have repeatedly raised the alarm about abuse and torture-like treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. Israel has consistently rejected the allegations.
