Context:
According to a recent report the Israeli military reportedly employed the Hannibal Directive during the October 7 attack by Hamas.
Relevance:
GS II: International Relations
Overview of Hannibal Directive
- Operational Doctrine: Known as the Hannibal Directive, this operational policy, also referred to as the Hannibal Procedure or Hannibal Protocol, has been reportedly used by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). 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.
- Objective: 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: While widely discussed among soldiers and analysts, the full text of the Hannibal Directive has never been officially published.
- Historical Reference: It is believed that the directive draws its name from Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who, according to historical accounts, opted to end his life rather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.
Origin and Response
- Formulation: The Hannibal Doctrine is said to have originated in response to the Jibril Agreement of 1985. 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.
Criticism
- Ethical Concerns: 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.
-Source: Indian Express
