HANNIBAL DIRECTIVE -
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
News: Death before capture: What is
the Israeli military’s Hannibal Directive?
What's in the news?
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According to a recent report the Israeli military
reportedly employed the Hannibal Directive during the October 7 attack by
Hamas.
Hannibal Directive:
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It is also known as the Hannibal Procedure or
Hannibal Protocol, and has been reportedly used
by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
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It emphasizes the use of maximum force to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers, even
at the cost of risking their lives and those of civilians and military
personnel, as revealed by a recent media investigation.
Backdrop:
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The Hannibal Doctrine is said to have originated in
response to the Jibril Agreement of 1985.
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This agreement involved the exchange of 1,150
Palestinian prisoners for three Israelis who had been seized in Lebanon by the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), a
Syria-based militant group.
Objective:
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The directive aims to preempt politically sensitive
prisoner exchanges by advocating for immediate actions, including potentially
lethal force, in the vicinity of a captured Israeli soldier.
Secrecy:
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While widely discussed among soldiers and analysts,
the full text of the Hannibal Directive has never been officially published.
Historical Reference:
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It is believed that the directive draws its name
from Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who, according to historical accounts,
opted to end his life rather than face capture by the Romans in around 181 BCE.
Ethical Concerns:
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Legal experts have criticized the Hannibal Doctrine
for its apparent disregard for human life, particularly in situations where the
immediate elimination of surrounding individuals may endanger the captured
soldier’s life.