Protesters backed by prominent far-right lawmakers from Israel’s ruling coalition on Monday stormed a military base where at least nine soldiers were being held for questioning over suspected abuse of a Palestinian prisoner.
A small crowd of protesters also forced their way into a military facility that has been turned into a detention camp for Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
A scuffle broke out when military police officers arrived at Sde Teiman base in southern Israel on Monday to question the soldiers, only to be met by dozens of protesters, including MPs, who had arrived to show support for the troops.
The protesters burst through the facility’s gate, waving Israeli flags and chanting “shame”. Some spoke over loudspeakers demanding the soldiers’ release.
The Israeli military said it was holding nine soldiers for questioning following allegations of “substantial abuse” of a detainee at the facility. The soldiers have been accused of leaving one detainee “in a very serious condition” three weeks ago. A tenth soldier who was not on the premises also has an arrest warrant issued for them.
Israel’s military chief described the storming of the base as “unlawful behaviour bordering on anarchy”.
“We are in the midst of a war and actions of this type endanger the security of the state,” Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said.
“It is precisely these investigations that protect our soldiers in Israel and the world and preserve the values.”
Later at night, a crowd gathered at the Beit Lid military compound in northern Israel and broke into a military court before being kicked out by law enforcement, the police said.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister and a key partner in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, declared that the soldiers being questioned should be treated like heroes, not criminals.
Mr Netanyahu denounced the protesters and called for calm, while defence minister Yoav Gallant said that even in “difficult times, the law applies to everyone”.
“Nobody may trespass into IDF bases,” he added, referring to the military.
Opposition party Yesh Atid called for the dismissal of the parliament’s deputy speaker who it said took part in the protest and cheered on the demonstrators.
“We are not on the brink of the abyss, we are in the abyss,” opposition leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid said on social media. “All the red lines were crossed today.”
Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians since the 7 October Hamas attack that triggered its ground and air assault on Gaza.
Israeli human rights groups, including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, said the majority of detainees have at some point passed through Sde Teiman.
The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel welcomed the military’s investigation but said it had pointed out systemic abuse at the facility and not just one case.
Israel has long been accused of failing to hold soldiers accountable for crimes committed against Palestinians. The allegations have intensified during the war in Gaza.
In February this year, UN human rights experts called for an independent investigation into reports that Palestinian women and girls have been sexually abused by Israeli soldiers.
They were “distressed” by reports that the soldiers had raped, assaulted, and strip-searched female prisoners in Gaza. Israel claims that its forces act within military and international law and that it independently investigates any alleged abuses.