Khaberni - The case of the "unknown prisoner" has intrigued the corridors of Israeli military censorship for years due to the intense secrecy surrounding the file.
After years of silence following the young officer's death inside his cell in 2021, the curtain was finally lifted on part of the truth.
The Israeli authorities revealed the identity of the "unknown soldier", confirming that he was a captain who served in "Unit 8200" named Tomer Eiges, and ultimately ended up dead in a military prison.
Tomer Eiges was not an ordinary officer, as he was known by his colleagues and leaders as a "computer genius", having completed his university studies in computer science with distinction when he was in his teenage years.
Eiges joined the technological elite in military intelligence, where he was entrusted with sensitive tasks related to cybersecurity and covert operations across borders.
According to the newspaper "Israel Hayom", Eiges was born on October 15, 1996, in Haifa and died on May 17, 2021, inside the military prison, under circumstances that have not yet been disclosed.
Hebrew sources indicated that Eiges was considered one of the top young talents in computing, having earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from Haifa University, and served as an officer in Unit 8200 of the military intelligence division.
Eiges possessed advanced capabilities in information security, signal analysis, and software development, and he was fluent in Hebrew and English, in addition to his proficiency in Spanish, Russian, and Persian.
He joined the intelligence corps in March 2016 and received several commendations, and was part of a team that won the Israeli Security Award.
What did Eiges commit?
Eiges was arrested in September 2020 after being suspected of involvement in severe security violations related to "endangering security", where he underwent investigations by the Israeli General Security Service, "Shabak", and spent about 10 months in prison before his death.
On that date, Eiges’ life turned upside down as he was secretly arrested, and he faced charges described as "the most serious in the history of the agency".
Despite the military censorship still imposing a ban on the details of the crime, official statements hinted at an individual transgression that nearly exposed operational and existential secrets of Israel.
What is notable in the Eiges case is the authorities’ confirmation that he was not working for a foreign entity or for financial motives, but his motivation was personal and ideological, not entirely understood, making the case more complicated.
Did he end his life, or...?
On May 16, 2021, Tomer was found dead in his cell at Neve Tzedek Prison, under tight security.
According to "i24news," the former military prosecutor general Major General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi concluded the final legal opinion on the case in February 2025, indicating that the death resulted from a series of deep failures and negligent behavior from several parties, in addition to inadequate medical follow-up.
The military prosecution, based on forensic reports and opinions of medical experts, confirmed that it cannot be determined that Eiges had committed suicide due to the absence of indicators of depression, previous behavioral changes, or any unusual behavior in the surveillance recordings.
