Far-right protesters storm Israeli bases over soldiers’ arrests
- Netanyahu calls for calm and condemns demonstrators after Israeli military detains soldiers over alleged abuse
Protesters and far-right lawmakers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition stormed two army bases on Monday as tensions soared in Israel over the arrests of soldiers accused of abusing a Palestinian prisoner.
In a statement, Netanyahu called for calm and condemned the demonstrators for breaking into Sde Teiman, a desert base in southern Israel. Israel’s defence minister and army chief of staff also spoke out against the march on military sites.
The notion of Jewish Israeli demonstrators targeting a military site – particularly during wartime – is a striking development because the army has long been one of Israel’s most trusted institutions.
The protests were sparked by the arrests of soldiers at Sde Teiman, where suspected Hamas fighters who carried out the October 7 attacks are being held. Israel’s military police said they raided Sde Teiman following allegations an inmate was subject to “serious abuse”.
Later in the evening, the riots spread to Beit Lid, where the soldiers were being detained, according to police.
The Israel police said they dispersed the demonstrators at the second military base within minutes. There were no immediate reports of arrests or injuries.