Israel's military is holding an “international seminar” this week on the Gaza war that is being attended by commanders and officials from 18 countries.
Photos on Tuesday showed military personnel observing the devastated strip from a hill in the Israeli border town of Sderot. The event comes more than a month after a ceasefire was reached, pausing two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas that has killed more than 69,400 Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave.
Military representatives from nations including the US, Britain, Germany, Canada and India are taking part in the exercise, according to the Israeli military.
“The purpose of the seminar is to strengthen co-operation, enhance familiarity with diverse operational approaches, exchange professional knowledge and experience between the participating militaries, and reinforce understanding of the IDF’s activity,” the army said.
The seminar started on Sunday, the military added, with Israeli media reporting it would run through this week.
Media reports said the foreign military delegations would hear lectures, conduct tours near the Gaza border and meet Israeli soldiers and civilians caught up in the Hamas-led attack of October 2023, which killed 1,200 people.
Israel responded to that attack with two years of massive aerial bombardment in Gaza.
Much of Gaza has been flattened by two years of war. Reuters
The country came under increasing international pressure to halt its military operation before a ceasefire came into effect on October 10, with some countries suspending or restricting arms supplies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, while Israel's army has been accused of attacking civilians.
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