After a month-long detention in harsh conditions, a 22-year-old woman identified only as K., who suffers from a severe eating disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, is set to be released from military prison on the eve of Passover and will celebrate the holiday with her family. A military court made the decision Tuesday following a report by Walla.
K. had been held for about a month in Military Prison 10 at Beit Lid, under strict conditions that posed serious risks to her physical and mental health. According to her attorney, Eden Zino, the IDF refused to acknowledge the complexity of her medical condition or provide appropriate treatment. Initially, the military also declined to weigh her—an essential indicator of her health status. When they finally did, she was weighed while wearing handcuffs and military boots, obscuring her true weight. Her last known weight was only 42 kilograms (92 lbs).
'The judges couldn’t believe she was even there'
K.’s family accompanied her through what they described as one of the most difficult months of her life. They said she was denied adequate medical care and that her condition deteriorated further during her incarceration. Only after repeated appeals did the IDF allow psychological evaluations, which concluded that she was unfit to serve and should be discharged immediately.
Speaking with Walla after the court’s decision, K.’s mother expressed deep relief: "How could I not be happy that my daughter is finally being released? I never imagined we’d reach this point, but unfortunately, reality proved it’s possible. There are documents showing her physical and mental condition, but no one bothered to stop and take them into account. The army kept a soldier in a dire medical state—both mentally and physically. The judges looked at her and couldn’t believe she should be there at all. We even paid NIS 10,000 for a private psychiatrist just to get someone to acknowledge her condition. Only then did they start to listen."
K.’s mother added, "I still don’t know her true weight. She was surviving on just bread, cheese, and pudding cups. Because of the humiliation and distress, she sometimes reacted uncontrollably—and was punished for it. They took away her phone, her cigarettes. My daughter can’t even tie her shoes—and she was punished for that."
"I saw her nearly every day. She was pale, emaciated, and deeply depressed. It breaks your heart to see your daughter like that and feel powerless. We tried to stay calm in court, even though my husband was nearly not let in after breaking down in anguish. I held myself back—bit my lips and breathed deeply. Thank God this nightmare is about to end. She’s paid the price. I’m very disappointed in the army—I didn’t expect this kind of treatment from the IDF. I just hope that now we can finally start treating her properly and help her get her life back," she concluded.
Attorney Eden Zino, a soldiers’ rights specialist representing K., welcomed the court's ruling. "I thank God for the prosecution’s willingness to reach a settlement, back down from its intent to sentence K. to another 13 months in prison, and ultimately save a life in Israel," Zino said. "This is nothing short of a legal precedent, breaking away from the military prosecution’s trend since the outbreak of the war to take a harsher stance on deserters and draft evaders. This time, logic prevailed—and the detainee, who suffered severely during the process, will be reunited with her family for Passover, which will truly be a holiday of freedom for her."
In its ruling, the court wrote that the prosecution had considered K.’s exceptional personal circumstances:"We took into account her severe mental state, which led to her being assigned a medical profile 21 [disqualifying her from military service], and the fact that the same underlying conditions retroactively affect her case. Her continued detention has a serious impact on her mental and physical health."
As Walla previously reported, K. served only a brief period in the IDF before being classified as a deserter. She was arrested after a traffic police officer caught her talking on the phone while driving. When she failed to pull over as instructed, a pursuit ensued. In an unusual move, the officer handed her directly over to the military police, who placed her in prison under strict conditions.
The IDF Spokesperson stated: "The soldier was absent from military service from October 2, 2022, to January 25, 2025—a total of 847 days. She had previously been punished with a 14-day disciplinary confinement for being absent without leave."
"During the proceedings, she was assigned a medical profile disqualifying her from military service. Yesterday, she was released from closed detention to house arrest on open conditions. The military prosecution has announced its intention to appeal the decision, and execution of the ruling has therefore been delayed by 24 hours. It should be clarified that the assignment of a medical profile exempting a soldier from service does not necessitate release from detention, nor does it nullify punishment imposed for absence from duty."
