Israeli Army Activates Hannibal Directive amid Reports of ‘New Disaster’ in Gaza
Israel faces rising battlefield losses in Gaza, with two deadly incidents reported Monday and escalating resistance attacks targeting occupation forces.
Israeli media reported on Monday that Israeli occupation forces were involved in two significant security incidents in the Gaza Strip.
In the first incident, described by Israeli sources as a “new disaster” and a “fierce battle,” clashes erupted east of Gaza City.
According to Israeli reports, at least one Israeli soldier was killed and three others were seriously injured. The Hannibal Protocol was activated amid fears of a possible soldier capture, though the soldier was later located.
The Hannibal Directive is a controversial military protocol that permits the use of indiscriminate firepower, even against Israel’s own civilians, in an effort to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers.
While officials have historically been reluctant to acknowledge its application, its use has been documented in past military operations, particularly in military operations against Gaza and Lebanon.
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Palestinian sources stated that Israeli helicopters landed in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City, accompanied by heavy artillery shelling, smoke bombs, and continuous overflights by Israeli warplanes.
Israeli military aircraft reportedly evacuated casualties from Gaza to Tel Hashomer Hospital in central Israel.
In the second incident, the Qassam Brigades announced that its fighters struck an Israeli armored personnel carrier north of Khan Yunis using a Yassin 105 missile, confirming that helicopters intervened to evacuate the wounded.
The Gaza Strip has seen a sharp escalation in resistance operations targeting Israeli forces in recent days.
Last Tuesday, Israel acknowledged the killing of five soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion of the Kfir Brigade, along with 14 others wounded, in battles in northern Gaza.
Backed by full American support, Israel has been carrying out genocidal crimes in Gaza since October 7, 2023. The assault has resulted in around 196,000 Palestinians killed or wounded—mostly women and children—with more than 14,000 reported missing and hundreds of thousands forcibly displaced.
According to Israeli military data, which has faced accusations of downplaying its losses, at least 890 Israeli officers and soldiers have been killed and over 6,000 wounded since the start of the war.
(PC, AJA)