IDF reservist gets 7 months behind bars for abusing Palestinian detainees

An IDF reservist who served as a guard at the Sde Teiman detention facility and was accused of abusing Palestinian detainees has been sentenced to seven months in jail in a plea deal.

The reservist was convicted of beating detainees with his fists and weapon, while they were blindfolded and handcuffed, on several occasions, according to the military.

Since the war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, Sde Teiman has been primarily holding Gazans suspected of terror activities.

“These acts were committed in the presence of other soldiers, some of whom called on him to stop, and were even recorded on the defendant’s cellphone,” the IDF says.

The military says the reservist admitted to the acts in a plea deal, and was sentenced to seven months in jail, along with a suspended sentence. He will also be demoted to the rank of private, the lowest rank.

“The military court determined that the defendant’s actions were serious and grave, and that IDF soldiers have a duty to use the force entrusted to them in accordance with IDF values and orders, at all times, and in times of war in particular,” the military adds.