Israel drops charges against soldiers accused of abusing Gaza detainee

Israel’s military on Thursday dropped charges against five soldiers accused of torturing a Palestinian detained during the Gaza war, in a case that exposed divisions within Israel over whether soldiers can abuse enemy prisoners with impunity.

The military announced the decision at a time when much of the country’s attention is focused on the war with Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the decision. “The State of Israel must hunt down its enemies, not its own heroic fighters,” he said in a statement.