Israelis storm Sde Teiman prison to defend detained soldiers' 'right to torture' Palestinians

Monday's arrest of nine Israeli reservist soldiers at the Sde Teiman detention facility over the shocking abuse of a Palestinian detainee sparked protests by far-right Israeli lawmakers and activists who believe soldiers have a right to abuse Palestinian prisoners of war. The nine Israeli reservists stationed at Sde Teiman were arrested by military police officers after an investigation was launched into their abuse of a Palestinian detainee at the facility. The allegations reported in Israeli press include both assaulting and raping the detainee, who as a result was hospitalised with severe injuries to his anus and is unable to walk. The incident is the latest in a series of mounting allegations of systematic abuse at the facility, reported by The New Arab, CNN and New York Times for the past several months prompting Israel's high court to demand reports on conditions at the facility following a lawsuit in May. However, yesterday the far-right activists stormed both the Sde Teiman detention facility and the Beit Lid army base which held the nine soldiers - who were due for court hearings today. Israeli journalists likened yesterday's incident to the 6 January insurrection in Washington DC and drew comparisons of a civil war.