Brig. Gen. Ofek Buchris
Brig. Gen. Ofek BuchrisFlash90

A senior Israeli general has been indicted for rape, in a case which is rocking the IDF's top brass.

The indictment against Brigadier General Ofek Buchris was served at a military court Thursday afternoon, and relates to an ongoing scandal amid accusations Buchris repeatedly raped one woman and sexually harassed another.

In announcing the indictment, an IDF spokesman said described Buchris as "a high-level officer and fighter," and said the decision to indict him had been carried out "with a heavy heart."

A rising star in the military, some had tipped Buchris as a future IDF Chief of Staff. His career now however lies in tatters; following the accusations, which surfaced in March, a scheduled promotion to the senior po‎sition of IDF Head of Operations was cancelled.

The army spokesperson said the indictment had been served after complaints by his two alleged victims were discovered to be backed up by credible evidence pertaining to crimes including "serious sexual offenses against a junior soldier during her mandatory service, at the hands of her officer," namely Buchris, during the general's stint as commander of the Golani infantry brigade.

In response to the indictment, Buchris's attorney said: "We regret the decision of the military prosecution, and believe that the decision is fundamentally flawed."

Friends and relatives of Buchris maintain his innocence, and contend the accusations against him are part of an organized plot by rivals to scupper his career. They assert that no other female soldiers under Buchris's command ever reported any kind of harassment.