In a recent report, Haaretz revealed that the “Israeli” military widely employed the Hannibal Directive on October 7. 

The Hannibal Directive mandates that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) army use any means necessary to prevent the capture of “Israeli” soldiers, even if it involves killing them.

The “Israeli” Air Force bombed at least three military bases and outposts during the attack, and the military fired heavily at the fenced area separating Gaza and “Israel” as Palestinian resistance fighters returned with captured “Israelis”.

The area was intended to become a "killing zone," according to a source in the IOF's Southern Command. 

Haaretz's report is based on documents and testimonies from soldiers and mid-level and senior army officers. 

An order issued hours after Hamas’ infiltration stated that "not a single vehicle can return to Gaza," which was understood as potentially causing the death of kidnapped “Israeli” civilians or soldiers. Haaretz noted that these orders were widespread on the day of the attack.

It was unclear whether or how many “Israelis” were targeted in these attacks, but cumulative data indicates many kidnapped individuals were exposed to “Israeli” gunfire and were at risk. 

At least one publicly known case involved “Israeli” fire, killing 13 citizens, which received widespread coverage.

- Chaotic decisions - 

IOF commanders made decisions in the early hours of October 7 without verified information, according to Haaretz. 

"There was crazy hysteria," one source said. "No one had a clue about the number of people kidnapped or where army forces were."

One of the early uses of the Hannibal Directive came at 7:18 AM when a drone strike was ordered on the Beit Hanoun Crossing after a report of a kidnapping. 

The Beit Hanoun Crossing and the adjacent military base were repeatedly hit with similar attacks throughout the day. Other locations targeted by IOF fire included the Reim base, where the divisional headquarters is located, and the Nahal Oz military outpost.

An IOF source told Haaretz that anyone making such a decision knew that combatants in the area could be hit as well. 

Another order, attributed to Brigadier-General Avi Rosenfeld, the commander of the IOF's Gaza Division, instructed all forces to fire mortars toward the Gaza Strip. This order was given despite the military having limited information on the whereabouts of forces and civilians.

The directive to prevent any vehicle from reaching Gaza was expanded hours later. 

"Everyone knew by then that such vehicles could be carrying kidnapped civilians or soldiers," a source in the Southern Command told Haaretz. "There was no case in which a vehicle carrying kidnapped people was knowingly attacked, but you couldn't really know if there were any such people in a vehicle. I can't say there was a clear instruction, but everyone knew what it meant to not let any vehicles return to Gaza."