Kyle Orton calls the Hannibal Directive claim a "zombie meme"
Kyle OrtonWriter on terrorism and national security
Kyle Orton called the claim that Israelis killed themselves on October 7 under the Hannibal Directive a "zombie meme" from the aftermath of the attack.
“When Zack Polanski spoke of Israel having "definitely" engaged in "false flag" operations, he specifically mentioned the "Hannibal Directive", this zombie meme from the aftermath of October 7 claiming the Israelis killed themselves.”
Original post
Where this statement fits
Did Israeli forces kill Israelis under the Hannibal Directive on October 7?
On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attackers struck southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed in Israel that day and about 250 were taken hostage into Gaza. In July 2024, Haaretz reported that documents and testimony show the Israeli military used the Hannibal procedure, which directs force to stop soldiers from being taken captive, at three army sites that day. The detailed findings of a UN commission of inquiry say Israeli fire likely killed at least 14 Israeli civilians in two incidents. The IDF has said a helicopter likely killed Efrat Katz of Kibbutz Nir Oz and that tank shrapnel highly likely killed one hostage outside a house in Kibbutz Be'eri, and it has defended the decisions of its commanders. Former defense minister Yoav Gallant said in February 2025 that he thinks an order to apply the procedure was given tactically in some places and not in others. The dispute is over whether, and how often, Israeli forces fired on Israeli captives that day, and how many Israelis that fire killed. The record also covers hostages later killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, including three who were shot in Shejaiya in December 2023 after escaping their captors.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Kyle Orton's post on his X account on October 3, 2026, linking a Telegraph report.
Before the quotation
Orton posted after The Telegraph reported that Green Party leader Zack Polanski said on his podcast that there are examples of Israel using "false flags" and referred to the Hannibal Directive.
After the quotation
The post links The Telegraph's October 3, 2026 report on Polanski's remarks.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Israeli fire on October 7, 2023, under or in the manner of the Hannibal Directive, that put Israeli captives at risk of being killed by Israeli forces. Orton rejects the claim that Israelis killed their own people that day as a meme. That disputes how the conduct has been characterized rather than defending any use of fire. The closest competing label is Defended or excused, but the post makes no argument that such fire was justified.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full casePolitiFact says it has not revisited related claims and its Nova video rating stands
PolitiFact
“We have not gone back and looked at related claims, and the rating stands.”Read statement
IDF points to its published October 7 investigations and declines further comment
Israel Defense Forces
“The IDF has published investigations concerning its conduct on October 7th, and beyond that, we will not comment.”Read statement
Michael Starr: under the directive, soldiers fire "at risk to friendlies, not at friendlies"
“The directive is a removal of safeties that come with the use of live fire, as Americans may be familiar with danger close mortar or artillery strikes. Fire is directed at hostiles, not at hostages, but the safety protocols are essentially removed. You are shooting at risk to friendlies, not at friendlies.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Kyle Orton calls the Hannibal Directive claim a "zombie meme"
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/4976-kyle-orton-called-the-claim-that-israelis-killed
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Kyle Orton calls the Hannibal Directive claim a "zombie meme"". First published: 2026-10-07. Last updated: 2026-10-07. https://disputeindex.com/events/4976-kyle-orton-called-the-claim-that-israelis-killed