Army officer censured over demolition of Gaza university

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday 11 March the commander of the Israeli military’s 99th Division, Brigadier General Barak Hiram, was formally censured for the demolition of a university in the Gaza Strip earlier this year without the necessary authorisation, writes Emanuel Fabian for The Times of Israel.

The announcement came as Channel 12 reported that Hiram was recently interviewed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the role of military secretary, though he was said not to be the leading candidate for the role.

The IDF, in response to a query, said the demolition of Israa University on 17 January and the approval process of the controlled explosion was “thoroughly investigated” by the head of the Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, and presented to Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi. “The investigation revealed that the Hamas terror organisation used the building and its surroundings for military activity against our forces, but the process of collapsing the building was done without the required approvals,” the IDF said.
Full report on The Times of Israel site