The Israeli daily “Haaretz” reported that the Israeli army is investigating the killing of 12 Israelis following a tank shelling of a house in the “Be’eri” settlement adjacent to the Gaza Strip on October 7th, last year.
The report explained that the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Hertzi Halevi, appointed retired Brigadier General Yoav Har-Even to head the investigation team, which will work in coordination with the military prosecutor’s office.
The Military Prosecutor’s Office will review the findings of the investigation team and determine whether there is any suspicion of a criminal offense warranting an investigation by the military police.
“Haaretz” indicated that “Yasmin Porat and Hadas Dagan, the only survivors of the incident, claim that the house was shelled by a tank,” adding that “this raised suspicions that General Barak Hiram, the commander of the 99th Brigade in the army who led the fighting in the settlement, ordered the tank team to open fire on the Cohen house, despite his knowledge of hostages being held there.”
According to the newspaper, the Israeli army has waited until now to investigate the incident because Hiram was involved in the war on Gaza, and there were concerns that the investigation might undermine his work and that of the forces under his command. “Haaretz” stated that the reduction of fighting in Gaza led army officers to believe that it was time to open an investigation.
The newspaper outlined concerns from several army leaders that the quality of evidence would be compromised during the prolonged waiting period and anticipated that the investigation team would summon Hiram in the coming days to give his account of the events and how he and other leaders on the ground made decisions on that day.
Lingering Questions
“Haaretz” stated in a previous report that any investigation into the incident should address questions, including whether Hiram acted in accordance with the rules of the Israeli army and its spirit, or whether he violated them. The report also questioned whether the spirit of the Hannibal Protocol prevailed in the Israeli army during its war on the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
The Hannibal Protocol is a controversial military protocol attributed to the Israeli army since its official adoption in 2006, allowing field units to strike prisoners with heavy weapons, even if it results in the deaths of Israeli prisoners, to prevent them from leaving the scene with captives.
On October 7th last year, the Palestinian resistance, led by Hamas, launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” in response to the continued attacks by Israeli forces and settlers against the Palestinian people, their property, and sanctuaries.
The resistance factions captured at least 239 individuals in towns and cities surrounding Gaza, exchanging dozens of them with Israel during a temporary humanitarian truce that lasted for seven days, ending in early December. Tel Aviv estimates that there are around 136 Israeli captives in Gaza, while it detains at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons.
Since October 7th, 2023, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in more than 27,000 martyrs and nearly 67,000 wounded, along with massive destruction of infrastructure and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to the authorities of the sector and the United Nations.
