Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has alleged that Israeli Military Police investigators are proactively contacting released Gaza detainees to gather evidence against IDF soldiers. This claim was made during an appearance on Channel 14's 'Patriots' program yesterday (Monday).
According to Smotrich, Military Police personnel have been instructed to call former detainees who were held at the Sde Teiman facility and subsequently released back to Gaza. These calls reportedly aim to solicit potential complaints or testimony against IDF soldiers regarding their treatment during detention.
"This is unacceptable," Smotrich stated on the program. "It's one thing to say that if there's a complaint it should be investigated, there's a law, it needs to be followed, there are rules in international law - but it's another thing to send Military Police investigators to proactively call Hamas terrorists in Gaza who were in the Sde Teiman facility, to ask them for testimony against IDF fighters. This is a moral and ethical bankruptcy."
Smotrich claims that Military Police soldiers themselves have testified to him about these instructions.
The allegations come amid ongoing tensions and investigations related to the treatment of detainees. On the same day, eight reserve soldiers were detained for questioning by Military Police investigators on suspicion of abusing a senior Nukhba terrorist.
The IDF has not yet responded to these allegations.
Channel 14 contributed to this article.
