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JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

The Israeli army promoted a reserve officer who ordered soldiers to open fire on Palestinian civilians waving white flags in central Gaza last year, Israeli media said on Wednesday.

The officer, whose name was not disclosed, was elevated to the rank of battalion commander, despite testimonies from soldiers that he had instructed them to target unarmed civilians at Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern Gaza from the south, Haaretz newspaper reported.

The incident was first revealed by Haaretz when the Israeli army withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor on Jan. 27 under a ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian group Hamas.

The pullback allowed over half a million displaced Palestinians to begin returning on foot via the coastal Al-Rashid Street, while vehicles used Salah al-Din Street.

In one incident, an Israeli officer instructed his soldiers to shoot dead two Palestinians attempting to cross.

Although Haaretz exposed the incident months ago, the Israeli army has not opened a formal investigation or questioned the officer.

The battalion the officer is expected to command is an infantry unit involved in ground operations in Gaza.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the Haaretz report.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 54,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.