Nadine Osman
Former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has publicly admitted to ordering the military to implement the controversial Hannibal Directive during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. This directive authorises the use of lethal force—even at the cost of killing hostages—to prevent captives from falling into enemy hands. Long shrouded in secrecy and controversy, the policy prioritises denying adversaries leverage over safeguarding the lives of soldiers and civilians.
Gallant, who currently faces war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court alongside Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, disclosed the decision during an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 on February 7. When questioned about the Directive’s implementation, Gallant stated, “I think that, tactically, in some places, it was given, and in other places, it was not given, and that is a problem.”
His admission sheds new light on the catastrophic events of October 7, when Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, targeting Israeli settlements and military bases. While Israel initially claimed that Hamas was responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,100 Israeli civilians and soldiers, mounting evidence suggests that Israeli forces also caused significant casualties among their own people during the chaotic response.
In a desperate attempt to repel the attack, the Israeli military deployed attack helicopters, drones, and tanks within its own territory. These operations not only targeted Hamas fighters but also resulted in the deaths of Israeli civilians and soldiers whom Palestinian militants had attempted to take captive. Among the victims were attendees of the Nova music festival near the Re’im military base, who were reportedly killed by Israeli helicopter fire.
Gallant also criticized former Police Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, condemning his provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Gallant described Ben Gvir’s storming of the mosque as “like detonating the situation,” underscoring how such actions exacerbated tensions in the region.
This interview marks Gallant’s first public appearance since his dismissal as defence minister in November. During the discussion, he also addressed the ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, noting that the current proposal closely resembles one Hamas had been willing to accept as early as April 2023.
This is not the first time Israeli officials have confirmed the use of the Hannibal Directive. In January 2024, the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported that the military had implemented the Directive during the October 7 attack. An investigation by the Hebrew paper revealed that the Israeli army had instructed all its fighting units to follow the “Hannibal Procedure” in practice, albeit without explicitly naming it. The order emphasized stopping “at all costs any attempt by Hamas terrorists to return to Gaza,” using language strikingly similar to the original Directive, despite repeated assurances from the security establishment that the procedure had been discontinued.
An Al Jazeera investigation in March 2023 also uncovered evidence that the protocol was used against Israeli civilians on October 7. Similarly, in July 2024, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper ran a headline stating, “IDF Ordered Hannibal Directive on October 7 to Prevent Hamas Taking Soldiers Captive.” The article described a state of “crazy hysteria” in which “decisions started being made without verified information.” Documents and testimonies obtained by Haaretz revealed that the Hannibal operational order was employed at three army facilities infiltrated by Hamas, potentially endangering civilians as well.
Further investigations by the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) in March 2024 revealed that the Israeli army was aware of the presence of Israeli captives in a house it targeted with two tank shells in the Be’eri settlement on October 7. This revelation underscores the tragic consequences of the directive’s implementation.
Former Israeli Air Force officer Colonel Nof Erez described the events of October 7 as “a mass Hannibal” in a September 2024 interview with Australia’s ABC News, emphasizing the scale and intensity of the Directive’s application during the attack. The Israel Hayom website also revealed last month that “during the fighting on October 7, the Air Force fired 11,000 shells, dropped more than 500 heavy one-ton bombs, and launched 180 missiles.”
In October 2023, The Electronic Intifada concluded in its investigation that at least “hundreds” of Israelis were killed by their own military. The report stated, “Fire from Israeli helicopters, drones, tanks, and even ground troops was deliberately undertaken to prevent Palestinian fighters from taking live Israeli captives who could be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.” The policy was reportedly enacted swiftly, with the Gaza division receiving orders that “not a single vehicle can return to Gaza.” By midday on October 7, an unambiguous order was issued from the high command of the Israeli military—the so-called “Pit” headquarters beneath Tel Aviv’s Hakirya building—to invoke the Hannibal Directive across the entire region. The order explicitly stated that this was to be done “even if this means the endangerment or harming of the lives of civilians in the region, including the captives themselves.”
(Photo credit: Chad J. McNeeley/DoD)
Pro-Palestine content, not China threat, led to US TikTok ban, reveals State Department memo
Jewish Florida man shoots two Jewish Israelis, mistaking them for Palestinians
Super Bowl halftime performer detained after raising Palestinian and Sudanese flags
Over 60 MPs demand ban on Israeli settlement goods
Israel forces Palestinian prisoners to wear Star of David and threatening slogan
