IDF used controversial 'Hannibal protocol' endangering civilians on Oct 7: Report
Israel Tanks
On 7 October, during the initial chaos of the Hamas assault, Israel's armed forces reportedly employed a controversial battle tactic called the "Hannibal protocol," claims a report.
As per the Israeli daily Haaretz, this procedure was used at three army facilities attacked by Hamas and potentially put civilians at risk.
What is the Hannibal Protocol?
This controversial directive as per reports was used by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) until 2016. The protocol has just one goal: to prevent the capture of soldiers by enemy soldiers, even at the cost of hostages' lives.
According to "Forensic Architecture, Violence at the Threshold of Detectability" a book by Eyal Weizman, one version of the Hannibal Protocol says that "the kidnapping must be stopped by all means, even at the price of striking and harming our own forces."
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Reportedly, at 11:22 am, about five hours after the attack began, a directive was issued to Israel’s Gaza division stating, "Not a single vehicle can return to Gaza."
This message, as per the Haaretz report quoting a source, meant preventing any vehicles from returning, regardless of potential casualties.
"Everyone knew by then that such vehicles could be carrying kidnapped civilians or soldiers … Everyone knew what it meant to not let any vehicles return to Gaza."
It is not known how many civilian or military casualties happened because of this order, however, documents and testimonies from soldiers and mid-senior level IDF officers suggest Hannibal protocol's use was "widespread".
Israel Investigation and Reactions
An Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson reportedly told the publication that internal investigations into the events of 7 October are ongoing.
"The aim of these investigations is to learn and to draw lessons which could be used in continuing the battle. When these investigations are concluded, the results will be presented to the public with transparency," read the statement, as reported by The Guardian.
(With inputs from agencies)
