Far-right Israeli protesters stormed a military base yesterday Monday to support soldiers accused of abusing a Palestinian prisoner, the BBC reports. Specifically, citing local media reports, at least nine Israeli soldiers at the base are accused of abusing a Palestinian prisoner, an alleged Hamas fighter captured in Gaza.

Crowds of protesters gathered outside the Sde Teiman compound yesterday after Israeli police moved in to arrest the reservists, who are subject to an official investigation.

Sde Teiman near Beersheba in southern Israel has been at the center of reports of abuse of Palestinian prisoners for months.

On Monday, dozens of protesters, including far-right lawmakers from Israel’s ruling coalition, broke through the base’s gate as others tried to scale the fence, chanting “we will not abandon our friends, certainly not for the terrorists.”

Some soldiers at the base reportedly used pepper spray against military personnel who arrived to arrest the reservists.

Protesters also entered the Beit Lid military base in central Israel, where the accused reservists were taken for questioning.

The Palestinian detainee is reportedly being treated in hospital after suffering severe sexual abuse that left him unable to walk.

The Israeli military said the attorney general ordered an investigation “following suspicions of abuse of a detainee.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the unrest and called for “immediate appeasement of passions.”

Defense Minister Yoav Gallad said the investigation into the soldiers’ behavior should be allowed to continue, adding that “even in times of anger, the law applies to everyone.”

However, some Israeli politicians have condemned the arrest of the reservists. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister, called their arrest “nothing short of disgraceful”.

Since the October 7 attack by Hamas, thousands of Palestinians have been detained without legal representation.