Israeli military prosecutors have requested that soldiers suspected of being involved in the serious sexual abuse of a Palestinian prisoner be released and placed under house arrest pending further investigation.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday that military prosecutors had requested that the soldiers be kept under house arrest until at least August 22.
According to Israeli media, a court is expected to approve the release of the five reservists, under a plan agreed to by both the military prosecutor’s office and the soldiers’ defense team.
They are being held in pre-trial detention on charges of sexually abusing a member of the militant group Hamas, who was allegedly beaten so severely that he had to be taken to hospital with injuries.
Israeli military police initially held 10 soldiers at the Sde Teiman military base near the desert city of Beersheba. Five of them have since been released.
There have been repeated reports of shocking conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, including beatings, torture, sexual abuse and rape. According to the UN Human Rights Office, at least 53 people have died in Israeli custody since October 7.
