Daniel Hagari

Daniel Hagari
Native name
דניאל הגרי
Nickname(s)Dani
Born1976 (age 47–48)
Tel Aviv
Allegiance Israel
Service/branch Israeli Navy
Years of service1995–present
Rank Tat-Aluf (Rear Admiral)
UnitIDF Spokesperson's Unit
Commands held
Battles/wars

Daniel Hagari (Hebrew: דניאל "דני" הגרי; born 1976) is an Israel Defense Forces Rear Admiral (Tat-Aluf) who currently serves as the head of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. Previously he has served as the commander of the Israeli Navy's operations directorate, the Chief of Staff's assistant, Commander of the Shayetet 13 marine commando unit and the office of the Chief of Staff.

Military service

Hagari joined the Israel Defense Forces in March 1995, and volunteered to the naval special operations unit, Shayetet 13.[1] After completing the warrior course training in the Shaytet, he then went to the infantry officer course. At the end of the course he returned to the Shayetet 13, and was appointed a platoon commander during Operation Defensive Shield. He later served as deputy commander of the Gadsar Nahal between 2003 and 2004.[2] After that, he was appointed deputy commander of a fighter in Shayetet 13.[2]

In 2007, Hagari was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel (Sgan-Aluf) and appointed commander of a vessel squadron in Shayetet 13, and served in this position until 2009. He was then appointed commander of a training squadron in Shayetet 13 between 2009 and 2011. He later served as deputy commander of Shayetet 13 between 2011 and 2012. Afterwards he was appointed head of the Chief of Staff Benny Gantz's office, a position he served in between the years 2013-2015.[1]

In 2015, Hagari was promoted to the rank of colonel (Aluf-Mishne) and appointed head of the operations directorate of the Israeli Navy, until 2017.[3][1] In May 2017, he was appointed as Chief of Staff's Gadi Eizenkot's assistant, and served in the position during the Northern Shield operation; in this position, he served until 2019.[1] On 31 July 2019, he was appointed Commander of Shayetet 13, a position in which he served until 15 June 2021.[4][1] For the activities of Shayetet 13 under his command, he was awarded the Chief of Staff Medal of Appreciation and the Chief of Staff's award for outstanding units in 2020, and the Chief of Staff's citation on 16 June 2021.[5][6][7] At the end of his position, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General (Tat-Aluf) and on 17 June 2021, he assumed his position as the Chief of the Navy's Fleet.[1]

On 29 March 2023, Hagari was appointed Chief of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit,[8][2] succeeding Ran Kochav. Hagari's appointment was the continuation of a recent policy to tap career military officials instead of civilian journalists as head of the Spokesperson's Unit.[9]

Notable event

On 14 November 2023, in a video posted on official IDF web channels, Hagari guided viewers through the basements of Al-Shifa Hospital and Rantisi Children's Hospital in Gaza after their capture by Israeli forces.

The goal of this video was to convey "evidence" of Hamas' use of these facilities as headquarters or for other war purposes - a claim that was denied by the Islamist organization, as well as by humanitarian and medical organizations working at the health facilities. [10][11]

Hagari is seen pointing to diapers, a baby feeder, toilet paper and a toilet, as well as weapons, claiming this to be proof that hostages were allegedly being held in these facilities prior to capture by the IDF. International observers pointed out that all the items shown in the video could have been used by civilians who had taken refuge there during the IDF shelling that preceded the ground operation or, in the case of the weapons, could have been planted by Israeli forces themselves. Notably, a segment of the video struck viewers' attention and was rapidly re-shared on social platforms, in which the IDF spokesperson states that a paper sheet on the wall of the facility is a "guarding list" (a shift schedule) in which "every terrorist writes his name and every terrorist has his own shift guarding the people who were here." Shortly after the video was published, Arabic speakers pointed out that in fact the paper sheet shown in the video was a handwritten calendar with no names. [12]

Eventually, an Israeli spokesperson a translation error in Hagari's statement and stated that the video of his commentary distributed to the media had been corrected, with the specific reference to the document deleted. [13]

Awards and decorations

Hagari was awarded three campaign ribbons for his service during three conflicts, as well as one Chief of Staff Citation.

Chief of Staff Citation Second Lebanon War South Lebanon Security Zone Operation Protective Edge

Personal life

Hagari grew up with two brothers[14] in Tel Aviv. He has a wife and four children. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's degree in diplomacy and security, both from Tel Aviv University.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Spokesperson, IDF. "IDF Spokesperson: The biography of Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Hagari" (PDF).
  2. ^ a b c Buchbut, Amir (29 March 2023). "יתמודד עם סערות המילואים ופיטורי גלנט: דובר צה"ל החדש נכנס לתפקיד - וואלה! חדשות". וואלה! (in Hebrew). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  3. ^ Caspit, Ben (16 April 2017). "ראש חטיבת המבצעים בחיל הים: "חמאס לומד מחיזבאללה כל הזמן והולך בדרכיו"". www.maariv.co.il. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  4. ^ "אלוף-משנה ד׳ מונה למפקד שייטת 13 בטקס שנערך בבסיס בעתלית". 0404 (in Hebrew). 31 July 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  5. ^ "אלה היחידות שיקבלו "אות הערכה מבצעי" מהרמטכ"ל". www.idf.il. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  6. ^ "אלו היחידות המצטיינות הזוכות בפרס הרמטכ"ל לשנת 2020". www.idf.il. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  7. ^ "הרמטכ״ל העניק צל"ש לשייטת 13 ול-4 מלוחמיה". www.idf.il. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  8. ^ זיתון, יואב (5 January 2023). "המינוי הראשון של הרמטכ"ל הבא הלוי: דובר צה"ל, לשעבר מפקד שייטת 13". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  9. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (5 January 2023). "Senior Navy officer Daniel Hagari tapped as IDF spokesperson". Times of Israel. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Palestinians inside Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital dig mass grave, no plan to rescue babies". Al Arabiya English.
  11. ^ "Gaza: Unlawful Israeli Hospital Strikes Worsen Health Crisis". Human Rights Watch. 14 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Need comic relief? Watch Israel's PR stunt collapse". The Electronic Intifada. 14 November 2023.
  13. ^ "דובר צה"ל הציג "לוח שומרים" שתורגם לא נכון ותדלק את האנטי ישראלים ברשת". Mako. 14 November 2023.
  14. ^ Hagari visits his disabled brother Yoni in October 2023 at the rehabilitation village of Adi Negev: "IDF spokesman at ADI: 'This is what we're fighting for'. "This place, which I have known from the day it was built, highlights the goodness and strength of Israeli society," said Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari". JNS (Jewish News Syndicate). 4 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
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