Israeli Soldier Sentenced for Abuse of Palestinian Detainees Amid Ongoing Conflict

An Israeli reservist was sentenced to seven months in prison for abusing Palestinian detainees at the Sde Teiman facility, marking a significant case amid allegations of widespread maltreatment during the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

An Israeli military court has placed a reservist in prison for seven months after he acknowledged his participation in the aggravated abuse of Palestinian detainees from Gaza at the Sde Teiman military detention center. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the unnamed soldier was found guilty for incidents where he physically attacked handcuffed and blindfolded detainees using his fists and a weapon. These acts occurred in front of fellow soldiers, some of whom protested his behavior, which was also recorded on the soldier’s cellphone.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, this case marks the first conviction of a soldier for mistreating Palestinians captured during the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Beit Lid Military Court revealed that the soldier pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated abuse and a count of unbecoming conduct, linked to four incidents that took place between January and June 2024 while he was responsible for overseeing transport lorries with detainees. The court also mentioned the involvement of additional masked soldiers, whose identities have yet to be disclosed.

Apart from the prison sentence, the soldier received a suspended sentence and was demoted to the rank of private. The IDF stated, "Soldiers have a duty to use the force entrusted to them in accordance with IDF values and orders, especially during warfare."

The Sde Teiman detention facility, established after the outbreak of hostilities 15 months ago, has been the focus of numerous allegations regarding severe mistreatment of detainees. In a notable incident, far-right protesters stormed the facility following investigations into nine reservists implicated in the alleged rape of a detainee and grievous bodily harm.

A report issued by a United Nations commission of inquiry in October claimed that a substantial number of adult and child detainees from Gaza underwent widespread and systematic abuse, including physical violence and sexual assault. The accusations were vehemently dismissed by the Israeli government, which asserted its compliance with international legal standards and emphasized that thorough investigations were conducted for every reported incident.

The current military campaign by Israel aims to dismantle Hamas, sparked by a significant attack on October 7, 2023, resulting in the death of approximately 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 251 others. Since the onset of the conflict, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza estimates that over 47,550 people have died in the territory. Human rights organization HaMoked states that there are currently 1,802 Palestinians from Gaza designated as "unlawful combatants" in Israeli prisons, excluding those detained by military forces.