The Military Prosecutor’s Office revealed on Monday that the terrorist at the center of the Sde Teiman Base abuse case was released to the Gaza Strip last month as part of the prisoner deal with Hamas.
The terrorist, a Hamas police officer, had been arrested during the war and detained at the Sde Teiman facility. During his imprisonment, several soldiers from Force 100 allegedly assaulted him - an incident that led to serious indictments against five reservists.
Although considered the key witness in the case, the terrorist is no longer in Israel. According to officials, he has expressed willingness to return to testify at the soldiers’ trial.
In a statement, the Military Prosecutor’s Office said: “According to the documentation in the computerized system, the security detainee was deported to Gaza on October 13, 2025. Upon receiving the report, we acted to verify it, and it was found that the security detainee is indeed no longer in the custody of Israeli detention authorities.”
Attorney Ephraim Damari, who represents several of the soldiers, sharply criticized the decision: “It is unbelievable. I learned just two hours ago that the terrorist from the Sde Teiman affair was deported from the country by the IDF - even though he is the only witness in the indictment against the heroic fighters. Beyond the disgrace of the deportation itself, the indictment must be dropped immediately.”
The Honenu legal organization, which also represents the accused soldiers, called on the prosecution to close the case: “We are appealing to the Military Attorney’s Office to immediately withdraw the indictment. From the beginning, we told the court that if the terrorist were brought to testify, the case would collapse. Now that he is gone, it is time to release the soldiers from this heavy burden and allow them to return to their lives. We expect accountability from all those involved in this decision.”
According to the indictment, two soldiers allegedly pinned the terrorist to a wall and lifted his handcuffed arms while others stood nearby. The detainee later collapsed to the floor, where he was allegedly kicked, stepped on, pushed, and dragged. Prosecutors further claim that a Taser was used on him, including to his head.
The indictment also describes how the detainee’s blindfold fell off, after which one soldier allegedly stabbed him with a sharp object, causing a tear in the rectal wall. The same soldier allegedly ordered the detainee to place a baton in his mouth.
Medical records state that the detainee suffered bleeding and was later taken for emergency treatment, during which he underwent surgery to install a stoma and chest drain and received blood transfusions. About three and a half months later, the stoma was removed.