The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) used the ‘Hannibal Directive’ during the Hamas attack on October 7, Haaretz, a leading daily, has reported. It said the directive allows soldiers to use force to prevent a kidnapping, even if it puts the lives of hostages at risk.
What is the Hannibal directive?
The Hannibal directive is a controversial Israeli military policy that orders Israeli soldiers to use maximum force to prevent kidnappings, even if it means risking their lives. A former Israeli army soldier told Al Jazeera that the policy allows soldiers to shoot without hindrance, targeting not only kidnappers but also potential escape routes, including junctions, roads and highways.
The directive was last used during the Gaza war in 2014, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians and accusations of war crimes. Although the Israeli military denied using the doctrine, it was reportedly rescinded in 2016 and is now being used again.
The protocol was used by the IDF after three military facilities were attacked on October 7, which potentially endangered civilians, Haaretz reports. The message sent to Israel’s Gaza division at 11:22 a.m. ordered that “not a single vehicle may return to Gaza,” meaning the vehicles could contain kidnapped civilians or soldiers.
“By then everyone knew that such vehicles could carry kidnapped civilians or soldiers… Everyone knew what it meant to not allow any vehicles to return to Gaza,” a source told the Israeli newspaper.
Although the exact number of casualties among civilians and soldiers is unknown, testimony from soldiers and IDF officers suggests it was widely used. The report says the Hannibal directive “did not prevent the kidnapping of seven of them (soldiers) or the killing of 15 other spotters and 38 other soldiers”.
On October 7, Hamas captured dozens of Israelis, including both soldiers and civilians. Many of these captives are still in the group’s custody, while others were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. According to Israeli officials, 1,139 people have been killed in the attacks, while 250 have been taken captive.
Since the start of the war, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed 38,000 people and displaced 1.9 million – about 90% of the city’s population.
