Netanyahu to promote army officer who ordered demolition of Gaza university

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to promote Brigadier General Barak Hiram, the Israeli army officer who ordered the shelling of a house in Kibbutz Be’eri on 7 October, resulting in the killing of 13 Israeli civilians, say Israeli sources. He also ordered the demolition of a university in Gaza. The move comes as a surprise to many, considering the controversial nature of Hiram’s military record.

The incident in Kibbutz Be’eri, saw Hiram apparently following the Israeli army’s Hannibal directive, a controversial policy to use maximum force in order to prevent the taking of Israeli citizens as hostages. The charred bodies of dozens of Israeli civilians recovered after the 7 October attack are believed to be the victims of the apartheid state implementing the Hannibal directive.

In addition to the Kibbutz Be’eri incident, it is reported that Hiram was reprimanded by the Israeli army’s chief of staff recently for ordering the demolition of a building at Israa University in the south of Gaza City without proper authorisation.

Despite these controversies, Netanyahu has reportedly interviewed Hiram for the role of his military secretary. The Prime Minister’s Office has refused to comment on the matter, while the military maintains that it does not provide details on how appointments are made within the army.

The potential promotion of Hiram has raised eyebrows among observers, who question the wisdom of rewarding an officer responsible for such contentious decisions during the Gaza genocide.

READ: Australia top diplomat warns Israel ‘will lose support’ over Gaza