Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi is at the centre of a scandal rocking the country after a bizarre sequence of events that included her abrupt resignation, a brief disappearance and a frantic search that led authorities to find her on a Tel Aviv beach.
The saga was touched off last week by Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi's explosive admission that she approved the leak of a surveillance video at the centre of a politically divisive investigation into allegations of severe abuse against a Palestinian at a notorious Israeli military prison.
The video shows part of an assault in which Israeli soldiers are accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee.
Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi is suspected of obstructing a police investigation into the leak. In her resignation letter, she reportedly took responsibility for forwarding the video, saying she wanted to "counter the false propaganda directed against the military law enforcement authorities."
The video, recorded by a surveillance camera, is said to show soldiers abusing a Hamas militant held at the Sde Teiman military detention facility in southern Israel.
After Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned under pressure last week, she left a cryptic note for her family and abandoned her car near a beach. That led to fears she may have taken her own life and prompted an intensive search that included the use of military drones.
Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi was found alive at the beach, north of Tel Aviv, on Sunday night.
After it was revealed that one of Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi's phones had disappeared, right-wing politicians and commentators began to accuse her of staging a suicide attempt as a way to destroy potential evidence.
At a court hearing, the judge said Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi's detention would be extended until Wednesday on suspicion of committing fraud, breach of trust and obstruction of justice. While the investigation into her actions continues, she is being held at a women's prison in central Israel.
Israeli media reported that former chief military prosecutor Colonel Matan Solomesh was also arrested in connection with the leak investigation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office refused to comment on Solomesh's arrest.
The fury over the leaked video reveals the depth of polarisation in Israel. The assault occurred on July 5, 2024, at the Sde Teiman military prison, according to the indictment against the accused soldiers.
with DPA
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