The British government has formally acknowledged that members of its armed forces received training in Israel during the ongoing military operations in Gaza that commenced in October 2023. This revelation came through an official statement from Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Veterans Al Carns, who disclosed that “fewer than five British Armed Forces personnel have studied on educational staff courses in Israel since October 2023.
This admission represents the first official confirmation of UK military presence within Israeli military academies following the October 7th attack by Hamas-led fighters on southern Israel. The disclosure emerges against a backdrop of serious international legal challenges facing Israel, including the International Court of Justice’s finding of a “plausible” case for genocide in Gaza and the International Criminal Court’s issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The training revelation has drawn sharp criticism from military experts and politicians alike. Retired British General Charlie Herbert characterized the disclosure as “absolutely extraordinary,” stating that “all such exchanges should have immediately ceased given the credible allegations of war crimes against the political and military leadership of the IDF.” He further expressed concern that this association “does our armed forces a huge disservice” and “adds to the accusations of UK complicity in this genocide.”
According to a study by Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, the conflict has likely resulted in at least 100,000 Palestinian fatalities. Despite growing criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, the UK maintains its staunch alliance with Israel, continuing both military and commercial collaboration.
This ongoing partnership includes significant arms contracts, with the British arm of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems reportedly close to securing a £2 billion contract to become a “strategic partner” of Britain’s Ministry of Defence. The agreement would position Israel’s largest arms manufacturer to train approximately 60,000 British soldiers annually. Elbit Systems provides approximately 85% of Israel’s drones and land-based military equipment, playing a major role in supplying weaponry used in Gaza.
In September 2024, the British government suspended 30 of 350 arms export licenses to Israel following a review that identified a clear risk of British-made weapons being used in violation of international humanitarian law. Notably, licenses for components for F-35 fighter jets, which are actively deployed in Gaza, were exempted from this embargo.