Israel holds 'seminar' on Gaza war with military staff from 18 countries

Commanders from nations including the US, UK and Germany taking part

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  An Israeli commander addresses representatives of French and Indian forces at a site in the border town of Sderot, overlooking the devastated Gaza Strip. All photos: Reuters

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  A Finnish military member and an Estonian special forces official look out at the destruction caused by Israel's two-year war on the enclave

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  A German officer attends the 'seminar' near the Gaza border. Berlin is set to end a partial suspension of weapons deliveries to Israel

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  The event, which involved personnel from countries including France, the UK and the US, aims to 'reinforce understanding' of Israel's military operations in Gaza

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  Members of the US Marines, the first armoured division of the US Army and the German armed forces on the hilltop in Sderot

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  Greek special forces members look out at Gaza, where Israel's war has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians

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  American military officials in Sderot. Israel faced international condemnation over its actions in Gaza, before a ceasefire came into effect in October

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  Israel says the talks aim to 'enhance familiarity with diverse operational approaches'. It has been accused of blocking aid to the enclave

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. Israel says it is weeding out Hamas fighters who use civilian infrastructure as cover. The country is also accused of blocking aid to the territory.

Germany, one of Israel's biggest arms suppliers, on Monday said it was ending a partial suspension of weapons deliveries that it imposed in August. Berlin has traditionally been one of Israel's closest and most supportive allies.

“The government is returning to examining on a case-by-case basis the export of weapons and will react to further developments,” said Stefan Kornelius, a German government representative.

The countries taking part in the seminar this week are the US, Canada, Britain, Germany, Finland, India, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Estonia, Japan, Morocco, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia, the Israeli army said.

Estonia recently made a large arms purchase from Israel, while India signed deals earlier this month to enhance “defence co-operation” with the country.

Following the US-brokered ceasefire, a Civil Military Co-ordination Centre was established in the south of Israel to oversee the Gaza truce, staffed by about 200 US military personnel.

But the ceasefire has not completely ended the violence. More than 230 people have been killed by Israeli attacks since the truce. Nearly half of those deaths occurred on a single day last month when Israel carried out air strikes across the enclave in retaliation for an alleged attack on its troops. Israel says three of its soldiers were killed.