Two soldiers from the IDF's Force 100 unit, implicated in the Sde Teiman affair involving alleged abuse of a Hamas detainee, are demanding that the military prosecution publicly refute claims made in a media report about a sexual assault. The soldiers insist that Channel 12 journalist Gai Peleg’s report, which cited supposed evidence of sodomy, is false — and they are calling on the military to confirm that the investigation materials contain no such evidence.
Their demand follows a recent warning from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to Israel’s UN Ambassador, Danny Danon. In the letter, the Secretary-General stated his intention to include Israel on the UN’s "blacklist" of countries accused of sexual violence in conflict, citing the Sde Teiman incident as a factor.
Attorney Manshe Ya'ado, of the Honenu legal organization and legal representative for the two soldiers, urged the military prosecutor to intervene:
“This is a test of leadership. If the military prosecution truly has the interests of the IDF and the State of Israel at heart, it must publicly declare that Gai Peleg's report was false — that there is no visual documentation of sodomy in the file and that the medical evidence directly contradicts any such allegation.”
In a formal letter to the military prosecution, Ya'ado emphasized that the UN's warning followed Channel 12’s report, which claimed the investigation file contained conclusive visual and medical proof of an act of sodomy committed by the soldiers against a Hamas detainee at Sde Teiman.
According to Peleg’s report, aired on Channel 12, “the footage includes documentation of the offense attributed to the reservists — an act of sodomy in circumstances of rape,” and cited an alleged medical opinion stating, “the injuries were caused by the insertion of an object.”
Attorney Ya’ado strongly disputed these claims:
“In reality, there is no visual or medical evidence supporting this allegation. The investigative materials completely refute the possibility of an act of sodomy, and this is known to the military prosecution.”
He added that the continued public circulation of these claims is causing severe distress to the soldiers and their families, and has now escalated into an international diplomatic issue due to the UN’s involvement.
Ya'ado concluded his letter by calling on the military to release a formal statement clearing the soldiers of the specific allegations of sexual assault:
“The IDF sent these soldiers to carry out orders in a detention facility. The IDF holds the investigation files and is responsible for clarifying that the claims broadcast by Channel 12 are false. The evidence not only fails to support the allegations — it directly contradicts them.”
He also warned that if the military fails to respond, the soldiers may pursue additional legal avenues.
The case dates back to July 2024, when five Force 100 soldiers were arrested on suspicion of abusing a detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility. In response to the media coverage, attorneys Manshe Ya'ado and Nati Rom, also from Honenu, filed a NIS 1.5 million defamation lawsuit on behalf of two of the soldiers against journalist Gai Peleg and Channel 12, alleging the report falsely accused the soldiers of committing an act of sodomy.