Gal Hirsch

Israeli brigadier general (born 1964)

Gal Hirsch
Gal Hirsch
Native name	גל הירש
Born	1964 (age 59–60) Israel
Allegiance	Israel
Service/branch	Israel Defense Forces
Years of service	1982–2007
Rank	Tat-Aluf (Brigadier General)
Unit	Paratroopers Brigade
Commands held	202 "Tsefa" (Viper) paratroop battalion Shaldag Unit, IDF Officer Training School (Bahad 1) 91st Division
Battles/wars	First Lebanon War South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) Operation Grapes of Wrath First Intifada Law and Order Second Intifada 2006 Lebanon War Operation Cast Lead Operation Pillar of Defense Operation Protective Edge

Gal Hirsch (Hebrew: גל הירש; born 1964) is an Israeli former military commander and author. As Brigadier General, he commanded the 91st Division of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the 2006 Lebanon War.^[1]

Military service

Hirsch served as a paratrooper in the Paratroopers Brigade and later joined the elite Shaldag Unit, eventually becoming the unit's commander during special operations in Lebanon.^[1]

Hirsch commanded the 91st Division of the IDF during the 2006 Lebanon War. After the war, he was widely criticised, having had direct responsibility for the abduction affair and the battles of Bint Jbeil and Ayta ash-Sha'b, in which the IDF failed to occupy the two towns in spite of suffering high casualties. He was forced to resign a few months after the war.^[2]^{[additional citation(s) needed]}

On October 8, 2023, one day into the Israel–Hamas war, Hirsch was appointed by Prime Minister Netanyahu to coordinate the cross-governmental response to missing Israeli citizens,^[3] i.e. civilians and soldiers abducted as hostages by Hamas into Gaza.

Career

As of May 2022^[update], Hirsch was a senior fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism.^[4]

In January 2017, he was awarded the Exemplary Graduate Award by the Association of Military Boarding Schools, for his exemplary work in the IDF and in civilian life.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2020, he volunteered to serve as chief of staff to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Elad.^{[citation needed]}

Books

Hirsch, Gal (2009). War Story, Love Story (in Hebrew). ידיעות אחרונות. ISBN 9789654828109.
Hirsch, Gal (2016). Defensive Shield (Revised English ed.). Gefen Publishing House. ISBN 9789652298652.
Hirsch, Gal (2020). Follow Me. Gefen Publishing House. ISBN 9789657023044.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gal Hirsch.

^ ^a ^b Harel, Amos (August 6, 2009). "Biography Settling Accounts". Haaretz. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
^ Harel, Amos; Issacharoff, Avi (2008). 34 Days: Israel, Hezbollah, and the War in Lebanon. St. Martin's Publishing Group. pp. 242–243.
^ Berman, Lazar (October 8, 2023). "Netanyahu names general as government point man on missing Israelis". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
^ "Hirsch, Gal (Brig. Gen. Res.)". International Institute for Counter-Terrorism. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2019.