5 Israeli soldiers accused of sexually abusing Gaza detainee released into house arrest

An Israeli military court today ordered the release of five Israeli soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee into house arrest pending investigation, according to local media.

The soldiers will stay under house arrest for ten days until 22 August under an agreement between the military prosecution and the soldiers’ defence team, Haaretz newspaper reported.

Last month, ten Israeli soldiers were detained for sexually assaulting a detainee from Gaza at the notorious Sde Teiman Prison in southern Israel, five of them were later released.

Following their arrest on 29 July, right-wing Israeli protesters, including politicians, broke into two military bases in southern and central Israel to protest their detention.

Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights reports have recently indicated that detainees from Gaza have been tortured at the Sde Teiman detention facility, which has led to the death of dozens.

In May, CNN exposed gruesome details of abuse, torture and mistreatment of Palestinians from Gaza in the detention facility with doctors speaking to the news organisation about the torture inflicted on detainees. Released prisoners have accused medical staff at the facilities of taking part in humiliating and torturing inmates.

The Palestinian whose abuse led to the arrests was hospitalised after being sexually assaulted, with video being leaked of the attack.

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READ: Israel systematically uses rape, sexual assault against Palestinian detainees, rights group says