Far-right Israeli protesters have stormed a military base in a show of support for soldiers facing allegations of sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner.
A crowd of civilians gathered in front of the Sde Teiman base after the accused reservists were arrested by Israeli military police.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident and called for calm.
According to BBCProtesters also stormed a second military base, where reservists were held for questioning but were expelled by military and police forces.
The Sde Teiman base in southern Israel has been at the center of reports of mistreatment of Gaza prisoners for months.
According to local media reports cited by BBCAt least nine Israeli soldiers are accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner, an alleged Hamas member, who was captured in Gaza.
Far-right MPs to protesters
On Monday, dozens of protesters, including far-right MPs from the ruling coalition, stormed the base, shouting “we will not abandon our friends, certainly not to terrorists”.
Some soldiers at the base reportedly used pepper spray against military police who arrived to arrest the reservists.
Defense Minister Yoav Galand said the investigation into the soldiers’ behavior must continue, adding that “even in times of anger, the law applies to everyone.”
However, some Israeli politicians have condemned the arrest of the reservists, with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calling the arrest “shameful”.