Israeli Army Announces Condemnation of a Commander for Unauthorized Destruction of Gaza University

According to the Israeli army, the commander of the 99th Brigade, Brigadier General Barak Hiram, has been officially condemned for the unauthorized destruction of a university in the Gaza Strip earlier this year. The Israeli army states that this issue was 'thoroughly investigated' by Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of the Southern Command, and the report was submitted to the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi. The investigation focused on the destruction of the Al-Israa University and the approval process for the controlled explosion that took place there in January of this year. The Israeli army claims: 'The investigation revealed that the terrorist organization Hamas used the building and its surroundings for military activities against our forces, but the process of demolishing the building was carried out without obtaining the necessary permits.' According to the same report, General Hiram did not seek permission from the Southern Command for the demolition of the building, while such permission was required for the explosion of sensitive locations like universities. The Israeli army states that Finkelman has reprimanded this army commander for the incident. The Israeli army also mentions that the incident will continue to be investigated by the fact-finding assessment mechanism of the General Staff, an independent military entity responsible for examining unusual incidents during wartime. According to the Times of Israel, another controversy surrounds Hiram due to his order to fire tank shells at a house in the southern Beeri area during a hostage situation, which likely resulted in the deaths of some hostages. Before the war, Hiram had been selected as the next commander of the Gaza Division. Following the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of over 250 others, Israel launched an offensive against Gaza aimed at destroying this Iran-backed Islamist group. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. Netanyahu states that the military attack on Rafah will continue; there is a deadlock in negotiations and speculation about the expansion of military operations. The Israeli Defense Minister: Coordinated aid with the United States will accelerate the fall of Hamas. Reports: Egypt is attempting to resume ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel. The sixth round of U.S. air aid to Gaza; CENTCOM: Thousands of meals delivered to civilians. The Israeli army conducted exercises to prepare for a 'potential war' in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army claims to have killed 'over 13,000 Hamas terrorists' in the Gaza war. Hezbollah fired 37 rockets into northern Israel.