Glenn Greenwald: many Israeli civilians killed on October 7 were killed by the IDF under the Hannibal Directive
Glenn GreenwaldJournalist, host of System Update
Glenn Greenwald wrote that many of the roughly 700 Israeli civilians killed on October 7 were killed by the IDF under the Hannibal Directive, responding to Mike Huckabee.
“And many of those 700 Israeli civilians were killed not by Hamas but the IDF, which invoked "The Hannibal Directive," whereby the IDF knowingly kills its own citizens to prevent them from being taken hostage.”
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
Glenn Greenwald's post on his X account, part of a thread responding to Mike Huckabee.
Before the quotation
The post is part of a thread responding to Mike Huckabee's reference to "1200 women, babies, and elderly people butchered by Hamas." It says the death toll included "well over 300 active-duty soldiers."
After the quotation
It continues: "They shot up and even firebombed homes where they knew Israeli civilians were." The UN Commission of Inquiry's detailed findings say Israeli fire likely killed at least 14 Israeli civilians in two incidents on October 7, and IDF inquiries have attributed several more deaths to its own fire.
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. Greenwald asserts that the IDF knowingly killed many Israeli civilians under the directive, which condemns the conduct. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, but the post states its claims without qualification.
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- Israel Defense Forces
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
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The Dispute Index. "Glenn Greenwald: many Israeli civilians killed on October 7 were killed by the IDF under the Hannibal Directive". First published: 2026-10-07. Last updated: 2026-10-07. https://disputeindex.com/events/5154-glenn-greenwald-wrote-that-many-of-the-roughly