The soldiers detained for allegedly assaulting a Nukhba terrorist claimed he attacked them first, the organization Honenu, which represents four of the soldiers, announced on behalf of the suspects.
They stated that the incident occurred about a month ago when the prisoner was transferred from Ofer Prison to Sde Teiman that day, likely due to a rebellion he was involved in while at the former facility.
A soldier and friend of the nine detainees provided the same explanation.
"This morning, around 10, Military Police personnel stormed the base in large forces. We were sure they came to capture some terrorist, not someone from the unit," he said. "It was really shameful and unnecessary - everyone needed for questioning could have been summoned in a more professional and respectful manner.
"Do you even know who the terrorist who complained is?" the fighter said. "He is an arch-terrorist who played a significant role in the murderous attack on 10/7 and shouldn't even be alive if he had committed his crimes in another country. We won't leave here until all the fighters are released. If you want to investigate, please, there is a way right way to do it. Someone here is confused—they are the terrorists, not us."
The soldiers presiding over the terrorist were conducting a routine search on him, during which the prisoner began to resist, attacking and biting the soldiers. Additionally, they mentioned that one of the soldiers was injured in the attack.
Attorney Adi Kedar from the Honenu organization said, “Shame, shame, shame. I’m on my way to the soldiers who were arrested. As a reserve officer for over 25 years, I am ashamed today, especially during this recent period. Every day I advise our best soldiers, who left their families to serve the country during wartime, and find themselves in interrogation rooms. Someone in the military prosecution has lost their way. We will demand their release today.”
Attorney Nati Rom from Honenu added, “I’m on my way to assist a reserve fighter, a member of a bereaved family, who has performed hundreds of reserve days with great dedication under harsh conditions in the field. I just spoke with his wife; she is crying about the event, and it sends shivers down the spine. This should not happen, certainly not in the way it has been done. We hope that all the fighters will be released immediately.”
On Monday afternoon, the Military Police Investigation Unit (MPIU) raided the Sde Teiman base and arrested reservists on suspicion of sexual abuse of a prisoner.
Clash with police
Civilians and Knesset members Amichai Eliyahu, Nissim Vaturi, and Tzvi Sukkot arrived at the base and protested, demanding their release, and shortly after, broke into the base.
Knesset member Almog Cohen arrived as well, though he did not break in.
During the arrest, the reservists clashed with the police who arrived at the base, and one soldier, captured in a video, shouted at them, “We will unite against this thing where the IDF fights its own soldiers. That’s it. It’s over.”
Another reservist added, “It hurts me to raise my nose against the IDF,” meaning he dislikes the idea of looking down at the IDF.