Gaza Herald – Amnesty International slammed the Israeli military’s decision to drop charges against five soldiers accused of abusing and sexually assaulting Palestinian prisoners at the Sde Teiman detention facility, calling it “disgraceful” and a reinforcement of impunity.
Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty’s Senior Director for Research and Advocacy, said the ruling highlights Israel’s long-standing failure to hold perpetrators accountable for serious crimes against Palestinians. She criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for welcoming the decision, calling it evidence of the Israeli system’s unwillingness, or inability, to prosecute international law violations.
The decision comes amid growing evidence of widespread torture and sexual abuse against Palestinians in Israeli detention, a pattern Amnesty has previously documented. Currently, 9,446 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, according to the NGO HaMoked.
Amnesty warned that dropping the charges entrenches a culture of impunity and stressed that international justice remains the only avenue for victims seeking accountability.
