The Israeli military’s top legal official, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi has resigned from the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) after admitting responsibility for leaking a surveillance video that exposed the abuse of a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility in 2024.

Her resignation comes amid a criminal investigation into the leak, as the video showed soldiers severely beating a detainee while obscuring the act from surveillance cameras using riot shields.

Tomer-Yerushalmi had been on leave since earlier this week, when police launched the investigation into how the footage reached the media. She is expected to be questioned under caution in the coming days.

In a resignation letter handed to IOF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Tomer-Yerushalmi wrote: "I approved the release of material to the media in an attempt to counter the false propaganda directed against the military law enforcement authorities… I bear full responsibility for any material that was released to the media from within the unit."

According to the military, her resignation was accepted immediately, and Zamir committed to appointing a replacement to stabilize the Military Advocate General’s Office.

Investigation into Sde Teiman abuse expands

The leak under investigation was part of a broader probe into human rights violations at the Sde Teiman facility, where "Israel" had detained over 1,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip since the start of the war in 2023.

The footage, aired in August 2024, showed a detainee lying face down before being surrounded by soldiers using riot shields, after which he was removed from view, beaten severely, and sexually abused. He was later hospitalized with multiple severe injuries.

Five IOF reservists were indicted for the assault, which took place on July 5, 2024. The indictment was based on extensive visual documentation and medical reports obtained during a Military Police investigation.

The Sde Teiman abuse scandal sparked outrage among human rights observers. The detention site, established to hold alleged Palestinian militants during the war on Gaza, has faced mounting allegations of systematic mistreatment, including the use of extreme restraints, denial of medical care, beatings, sexual abuse, and arbitrary punishment.

Shin Bet polygraph uncovers leak

The video leak investigation was triggered by a failed polygraph test taken by an officer in the Military Advocate General’s office, believed to be its spokesperson. Though unrelated to the Sde Teiman case, the polygraph raised suspicion regarding knowledge of the leak.

New Shin Bet chief David Zini reportedly relayed the findings to Chief of Staff Zamir, who then consulted with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. A formal probe into the leak followed.

Security Minister Israel Katz publicly supported Tomer-Yerushalmi’s dismissal and accused her of undermining the IOF.

"Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF soldiers is not worthy of wearing the IDF uniform," Katz said following her resignation. 

Read next: Gaza hospital director held in notorious Sde Teiman: CNN