Khaberni - In Israel, on Tuesday, the search continues for the phone of the resigned military prosecutor Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, who the police suspect deliberately threw it into the sea during her brief disappearance on Sunday.
Israeli newspapers published pictures of the search operations at Hatzuk Beach in Tel Aviv, and even in the sea waters, on Tuesday morning.
There were fears that the former official might have harmed herself, due to the ongoing investigation into her leaking a video showing the torture of a Palestinian prisoner which caused an uproar in Israel and internationally.
Tomer Yerushalmi was found alive, but her phone was not found.
Reports indicated that she told investigators she does not remember what she did with it, while the police suspect she might have been trying to destroy evidence incriminating her in the case.
On Monday, Israel announced the arrest of the former army prosecutor, days after she submitted her resignation and admitted that her office had leaked a video showing soldiers assaulting a Palestinian detainee in a military prison in 2024.
The army announced on Friday that Tomer Yerushalmi had submitted her resignation as part of an official investigation into the leak, which shows soldiers assaulting a blindfolded detainee at Sde Teman Center.
According to a copy of the resignation letter published by local media, the former military prosecutor admitted that her legal department provided the media with the video last year.
In February last year, 5 reserve soldiers were charged with mistreating a Palestinian detainee in July 2024, inside the center located within a military base in southern Israel.
According to the indictment, the soldiers used "severe violence" against the detainee, leading to "serious injuries" including rib fractures and a punctured lung, according to the army.
The Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said via "Telegram": "In light of the events of last night (Sunday), it was agreed that the Prison Service should exercise additional vigilance to ensure the safety of the detainee in the detention center where she was placed under arrest".
He stressed "the importance of conducting the investigation with utmost professionalism to uncover the full truth about the case, which led to a smear campaign against Israeli army soldiers".
According to Israeli media, a court in Tel Aviv ordered her to remain in pre-trail detention until Wednesday afternoon.
The Security Minister did not specify the charges faced by Tomer Yerushalmi.
However, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that the former prosecutor faces charges of "fraud, breach of trust, abuse of office, obstruction of justice, and disclosure of information by a public official".
Contact with the former prosecutor was lost for hours on Sunday, and press reports mentioned that she left a message that could be interpreted as a suicide note.
On Monday, Channel 12 in Israel reported that the police suspect that the former prosecutor did not intend to commit suicide but fabricated her disappearance incident to dispose of her mobile phone, which is believed to contain sensitive information.
