On Sunday, July 7, 2024, Haaretz reported that the Israeli military activated the Hannibal Protocol during the October 7th attack, resulting in directives to kill both the captor and the captive. According to the investigation, the Israeli army ordered a halt to all vehicular movement back to Gaza during the assault, disregarding the potential risk to the lives of Gaza border residents.
During the October 7th assault on three Israeli military installations by Hamas fighters, the army commanded the use of force, shelling, and gunfire to prevent the capture of soldiers. The protocol was reportedly heavily utilized at the Erez Crossing, Re'im Base, and Nahal Oz site. Despite these efforts, soldiers were ultimately captured from these locations.
Haaretz obtained documents confirming that the Gaza Division, Southern Command, and General Staff ordered the Hannibal Protocol's execution from the attack's early hours at various border points, without precise knowledge of the number of captives or Hamas fighters involved. The final toll of soldiers or civilians wounded or killed remains undetermined, though many captives were subjected to Israeli gunfire even if they were not the intended targets. The army is aware of one Israeli killed near the border fence due to gunfire in that area.
The report also noted that, following the attack, the Israeli military decided to bombard Gaza, aware that this might endanger the captives, whose numbers were estimated to be in the dozens. The Israeli army has not officially acknowledged the Hannibal Protocol's implementation during the October 7th attack, stating that the investigation is ongoing.
The Hannibal Protocol is a controversial military measure employed by the Israeli army to prevent the capture of its soldiers, even if it means killing them. This policy permits the bombardment of sites where soldiers are held captive.
This raises critical questions about the combat doctrine of an army that claims to be the most ethical in the world, given its readiness to kill its own soldiers to avoid paying the price for their release.