Investigations into Israeli soldiers for alleged sexual abuse trigger protests

An investigation into the detention of Israeli soldiers on suspicion of sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner sparked protests on Monday.

According to the Associated Press (AP), nine soldiers were due to appear before a military court on Tuesday at the Beit Lid base in central Israel. They are accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner in Sde Teiman. Sde Teiman is known for its poor conditions and many Gaza prisoners have been held there during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The military court hearing is expected to decide whether to extend the prison terms of the nine soldiers allegedly involved in the incident.

However, since the soldiers’ arrest, there have been protests by supporters of the soldiers, including Israeli MPs and government ministers, who have spoken out against the investigations and called for harsher treatment of the prisoners.

In addition, several hundred protesters entered Sde Teiman and later the military base where the soldiers were being held.

Following the protests, the AP reported that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemned the protesters’ break-ins in a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for an investigation into whether National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir “prevented or delayed” the police response to the unrest.

However, Ben-Gvir, whose ministry is responsible for police, said in a letter to Netanyahu that the allegations of delay were unfounded, AP reported.

The protests against the detention of the soldiers come more than nine months after Israel began its war against Hamas, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. According to the Israeli government, 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage. About 120 people are still being held and about a third of the hostages are believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel then launched its heaviest air strikes in the history of the Gaza Strip. More than 39,000 Palestinians were killed and thousands arrested, the Gaza Health Ministry said, according to AP. The rising death toll led to international calls for a ceasefire.

Although the details of the allegations are still unclear, the AP reported that Nati Rom, a defense attorney representing three of the soldiers, said the incident under investigation occurred a month ago in Sde Teiman. Rom said the detainee attacked officers during a search, after which the soldiers used “violence” but did “nothing sexual.” Rom added that the detainee is a high-ranking Hamas militiaman, and he described the alleged abuse the soldiers committed as “sodomy.”

Rom works for Honenu, a nationalist law firm that specializes in defending Israeli soldiers and civilians on trial for violence against Palestinians.

According to AP, neither Rom’s account of the incident nor the identity of the detainee could be independently confirmed. The military has also not released any details about the investigation, but has described the allegations as “significant abuse.”

The allegations against the soldiers follow a report from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in April, which said Palestinians released from prison and sent back to Gaza had reported cases in which prisoners were beaten and forced to strip naked.

Newsweek contacted UNRWA by email on Tuesday seeking comment.

Israeli authorities have denied abuses in Palestinian detention centers. According to AP, Israel claims it acted within the framework of military and international law and independently investigated all alleged abuses.