IDF’s Former Military Advocate-General Who Resigned Over Prison Leak Found Safe After Disappearance
Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the recently resigned IDF Military Advocate-General, was found alive on a Tel Aviv beach Sunday evening after an hours-long search that began when she was reported missing earlier in the day.
Authorities launched a large-scale operation by air, sea, and land amid concerns for her safety after her car was discovered abandoned near Hatzuk Beach, with a letter left inside. Police units, along with IDF and naval personnel, deployed helicopters, drones, and ground teams to locate her. The search ended on a northern Tel Aviv shoreline, where she was found unharmed.
Tomer-Yerushalmi’s disappearance came two days after she resigned from her post following Defense Minister Israel Katz’s threat to dismiss her over the leak of a sensitive video showing IDF soldiers showing extreme force against a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility.
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The footage, which drew widespread attention, led to internal inquiries over who shared it with the media. Katz accused her of leaking the material and then denying knowledge of its source.
The Tel Aviv District Police commander confirmed that the operation to search for her had involved “all available resources” and said Tomer-Yerushalmi was escorted by police and soldiers for a medical check before being taken to a station for further evaluation.
Her family initially alerted authorities after losing contact with her. Later in the day, she reportedly spoke briefly with her husband, who was brought to meet her roughly a kilometer north of where her vehicle was found.
As Israel’s second female major-general, Tomer-Yerushalmi had served as the army’s top legal authority during a period of high public scrutiny over the military’s handling of security detainees.
Officials said she is expected to face questioning over her alleged involvement in the Sde Teiman leak. Although investigators had planned to summon her in the coming days, the circumstances of her disappearance may prompt an expedited interrogation while she remains in custody and under care.
