Israeli Military Employed 'Hannibal Procedure' During Clashes at Qalandiyah

Refugee Camp
According to an initial IDF investigation, Waze may have led two Israeli soldiers
into refugee camp, sparking clashes that left one Palestinian dead and several
wounded.
Gili Cohen Mar 01, 2016 12:19 PM
Israeli soldiers extricated from Palestinian refugee camp after their jeep was
hit by firebomb in Qalandiyah. March 1, 2016.Midabrim Communications Simchastream
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The Israel Defense Forces employed the controversial 'Hannibal procedure' late
Monday night after two soldiers were attacked upon accidentally entered the
Qalandiyah refugee camp, according to an initial IDF investigation. The IDF
expects a full investigation to reveal that there were failures in judgement, and
those involved in the incident may be tried at a later date.
The investigation of an incident overnight between Monday and Tuesday
revealed that an army driver and squad commander from the Oketz unit were
making use of the Waze smartphone GPS navigational app and entered the camp
by mistake.
The two separated after their vehicle was attacked in the camp and the
whereabouts of one of the soldiers was unknown for more than an hour. The
IDF invoked the so-called Hannibal protocol, an order requiring extraordinary
measures to head off the abduction of soldiers. The army expects the complete
investigation into the incident in the refugee camp, which is in the West Bank
just outside Jerusalem, to reveal failings in the soldiers conduct which could
result in disciplinary proceedings.
In the course of a night-time IDF operation to rescue the soldiers, ten members
of the security forces were injured, five soldiers and five members of the
border police, one of whom was moderately wounded. The army reported serious
violence in the refugee camp overnight including gunfire and the throwing of
explosives, Molotov cocktails and stones. One Palestinian, who the army said was

armed, was killed by IDF fire. Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said he was shot
in the head.
https://youtu.be/5NWibW4snTk
Directives require that all soldiers travelling in the West Bank know the route
that they are supposed to take. Before setting out, someone is to be put in
charge of travel and to be responsible for proper navigation to the destination.
The use of Waze can pose a problem in such circumstances in the West Bank if
the proposed route that Waze suggests is not evaluated. Waze does provide an
option that excludes highways in Area A, which is under the complete control of
the Palestinian Authority, and Area B, which is under the civil control of the
Palestinian Authority. But when it comes to travel between A-Ram and Adam,
which was the two soldiers route, sometimes Waze directs motorists toward ARam, the route the soldiers took.
The pair were in uniform, had an ammunition magazine and were riding in a
vehicle with army license plates. After entering the refugee camp, a
confrontation with residents ensued in which they were attacked with stones
and Molotov cocktails, one of which hit the vehicle and set it on fire. The
soldiers got out of the vehicle and split up. One hid in a nearby yard while the
other proceeded toward the Jewish settlement of Kochav Yaakov.
The soldier who remained in the camp had a cellphone, which he used to contact
his commanders. He also used his weapon a number of times, firing into the air.
Contact with the other soldier was lost, and when the army realized that contact
had been lost with him, the Hannibal protocol was invoked throughout the IDF
Central Command area. The soldier was located more than an hour later.
Overnight, the IDF extracted the army vehicle, which had been completely
burned, from the refugee camp.
On Tuesday, investigators were examining the conduct of the soldiers and what
orders they received from their commanders. The investigation is expected to
focus on what instructions the soldiers received before setting out on their
military mission in addition to the soldiers own conduct while on the road, an
army source said. The soldiers were coming from the direction of the
settlement of Beit El after letting a number of soldiers off at a base.
Commenting on the incident, Defense Minister Yaalon noted that the two had
left their vehicle in a manner than made it difficult to locate at least one of
them and that large numbers of troops were deployed in the search. Yaalon had
praise for the quick response of the troops that were dispatched. The army, he

added, would investigate exactly what happened in connection with an incident in

which the two soldiers were not familiar with the area, adding that proper
conduct in an era in which Waze is showing the way will also be looked at.
Gili Cohen
Haaretz Correspondent
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