Zebah and Zalmunna

So he said to the men of Succoth, Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted.

And I am pursuing after Ziba and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.

All right.

Was Gideon supposed to go after these two kings? Yes, he was.

Look at how the men of Sukkoth respond to Gideon's ask for help.

In verse 6...

The officials of Sukkoth said, Are the hands of Ziba and Zalmunna already in your hand that we should give bread to your army? What is that? Gideon says later, That was a taunt.

It's definitely a move of self-protection.