Defense Minister Israel Katz met today (Monday) in his office with the fighters of “Force 100," following the decision to cancel the indictment filed against them.
During the meeting, Katz expressed support for the fighters and instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to work toward returning them to reserve duty.
Over the past weekend, the Military Advocate General, Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir, ordered the cancellation of the indictment against five reservists who had been charged in the “Sde Teiman" affair. The decision came after the exposure of a series of serious failures, deliberate leaks, and suspicions directed at the previous leadership of the military prosecution.
The investigation in the case began in July 2024 against several reservists from “Force 100" who served at the Sde Teiman base, on suspicion of severely assaulting a security detainee. Their arrest and the open investigation sparked widespread public controversy and protests, some of which even included attempts to break into military bases.
A detailed document published by the Military Advocate General presented a broader picture of the legal process. It pointed to a criminal investigation opened against the previous Military Advocate General and her deputy on suspicion of leaking investigative materials, obstructing a review, and providing false information to the Supreme Court of Israel and the Knesset.
“These events significantly harmed the defendants’ right to a fair trial and the sense of justice," the decision stated.
It was also determined that the security camera footage leaked to Channel 12 News does not present a clear picture and does not prove violence beyond the use of reasonable force during a search. The document notes that the footage does not clearly show the acts attributed to the defendants, partly because some of the actions are obscured.
Another development was the release of the security detainee to Gaza in October 2025 as part of a hostage-release deal. The IDF stated that the detainee’s testimony had been one of the pillars of the evidentiary basis, and his release significantly complicates the possibility of bringing him to testify and substantiating the charges.
After weighing all the considerations-including evidentiary difficulties, investigative developments, and concern about harming the defendants’ right to a fair trial-the Military Advocate General decided to cancel the indictment.