Soldiers implicated in Sde Teiman affair sue IDF, police and others for defamation

Soldiers implicated in the Sde Teiman affair are seeking NIS 18 million from Israeli officials, police bodies, a journalist and other defendants, alleging that the case turned into a public campaign of false accusations and defamation.

The Force 100 soldiers filed the lawsuit with help from the legal aid organization Honenu, according to Israeli media reports. The defendants reportedly include former military advocate-general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, Channel 12 reporter Guy Peleg, the IDF, the Military Police and the Israel Police.

The lawsuit focuses on the soldiers’ arrest, the publication of video footage and the handling of the investigation into the leak. It alleges that investigative materials were leaked and that the video fueled defamation and subsequent criminal proceedings. Honenu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The underlying affair concerns a July 2024 incident at the Sde Teiman detention facility, near Beersheba, where IDF reservists were accused of severely abusing a Palestinian detainee from Gaza. The Justice Ministry’s Police Investigation Department investigated, and several soldiers were later indicted.

In February 2025, a military court filed charges against five soldiers for aggravated injury and aggravated assault. Maj.-Gen. Itay Offir canceled the indictment in March, citing evidentiary difficulties and the controversy surrounding the leaked video. The lawsuit now adds a civil challenge to the legal and investigative process that followed the alleged abuse.