IDF Unit 100 Soldiers Sue Top Officials Over Yemen Field Case
Three soldiers from the elite Unit 100 have filed a civil lawsuit seeking 18 million shekels (approximately $4.8 million USD) against a number of senior officials and entities, including the former Military Advocate General, the Attorney General, the State, and Channel 12 News. The soldiers allege false accusations, wrongful arrest, defamation, and a cover-up of the investigation into leaks concerning the Yemen Field case.
The lawsuit, filed at the Jerusalem District Court through the Honenu organization and the Miron, Prives, Ben Zion law firm, names 17 defendants. These include former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, State Attorney Amit Isser, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Military Police, Israel Police, the State, Channel 12 reporter Guy Peleg, and the news company itself.
According to the lawsuit, the soldiers are seeking compensation for damages including 1.5 million shekels for false accusations of a serious sexual offense, 450,000 shekels for 15 days of wrongful arrest, 3 million shekels for defamation, 1 million shekels for a wrongful indictment, and half a million shekels for the alleged cover-up of the leak investigation. Additional damages bring the total claim to 18 million shekels.
The suit details a chain of events starting with accusations against the soldiers, followed by a publicized arrest, the leaking of investigation materials, a criminal proceeding, and the subsequent handling of the leak investigation. The plaintiffs claim that authorities delayed an effective investigation into the leaks for months and that misleading representations were made to the High Court of Justice regarding the leaks and exposure to the leaked materials.
Lawyers for the soldiers argue that senior figures in the prosecution and law enforcement "covered up" those involved in the leak, causing prolonged suffering since the leak on August 6, 2024, until the indictment was canceled on March 12, 2026. They also criticize the criminal proceedings, stating the hearing was held with a conflict of interest and their claims about the leak were dismissed by the same parties managing the process. The subsequent indictment, they contend, was fundamentally flawed.
The soldiers point to the current Military Advocate General's decision to cancel the indictment after a review as evidence that the original process was flawed and could have been avoided or significantly shortened. Their attorney, Menashe Yado of Honenu, stated that the lawsuit targets powerful entities, including the former military prosecution leadership and Channel 12, who allegedly conspired to harm the soldiers, and law enforcement leaders who protected the former Military Advocate General, thereby undermining the rule of law and equality.
