British military trained in Israel amid Gaza genocide

British military personnel trained in Israel amid the Gaza genocide, Declassified can reveal.

The information comes in response to a parliamentary question tabled by Zarah Sultana MP.

On 18 November, Sultana asked the Ministry of Defence “whether any British armed forces officers have studied or trained at Israeli military colleges since October 2023”.

Defence minister Al Carns responded earlier today, saying: “Fewer than five British Armed Forces personnel have studied on educational staff courses in Israel since October 2023”.

It remains unclear where the troops studied or which branches of the military they came from.

But the revelation exposes a new layer of British military collaboration with Israel amid what the UN commission of inquiry has described as a genocide.

Charlie Herbert, a retired British army general, told Declassified: “It is absolutely extraordinary to think that UK military personnel have been undertaking military education or training courses in Israel over the past two years.

“Given the credible allegations of war crimes against the political and military leadership of the IDF, all such exchanges should have immediately ceased.

“It does our armed forces a huge disservice to be associated with the IDF, given the conduct of the IDF in Gaza since late 2023 and to think that we are training in Israel only adds to the accusations of UK complicity in this genocide”.

The Ministry of Defence was approached for comment.

Military training

The disclosure about British military officers training in Israel comes after Declassified revealed how Israeli soldiers have trained in Britain over the past two years.

In response to a freedom of information request, the Ministry of Defence admitted in September that fewer than five IDF soldiers had studied in London at the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) in 2023 and 2024.

One of those soldiers, Yeftah Norkin, completed the course in July 2024 and went on to lead the army’s “Bang” division during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

Another Israeli army officer thought to be Elad Edri graduated as recently as July 2025.

Established in 1927 as the Imperial Defence College, the RCDS in Belgravia is one of Britain’s most eminent military academies.

At least 32 Israeli officers have trained at the RCDS over recent decades, including Colonel Yaniv Asor, the current chief of the IDF’s southern command who oversees military operations in Gaza.

The Ministry of Defence announced in October 2025 that Israeli military officers would no longer be accepted onto training courses in Britain.

“The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong”, said defence minister Lord Coaker.

“There must be a diplomatic solution to end this war now… We have therefore paused future Israeli participation in UK-run courses,” he added.

However, Israeli military officers who were already training in the UK were allowed to complete their courses, with as many as four IDF soldiers still in Britain.

This month, the Ministry of Defence reportedly confirmed that it had decided not to send British personnel to an Israeli military conference held last week in which lessons from the war in Gaza were to be shared.

France, Germany and Canada are understood to have sent officers.

Israel National Defence College

The RCDS also welcomed “senior staff” from the Israel National Defence College (INDC) earlier this year, according to a post on LinkedIn.

The INDC prepares IDF officers as well as defence and government officials for senior command and management positions.

The visit to the RCDS “focused on exchanging ideas, exploring best practices in strategic education, and identifying opportunities for future cooperation between the two institutions”.

In July, the INDC celebrated the graduation of its 52nd class, which it called “a significant milestone in developing Israel’s future strategic leadership”.

The college noted: “38 senior officials, including 5 distinguished international students, completed this intensive, year-long program in national security, policy, and strategy”.

The next month, Britain’s ambassador in Israel, Simon Walters, attended a “special International Reception in honor of the international students” of its 53rd class.

The INDC said it was “especially honored” by Walter’s presence, noting that his “steadfast commitment to strengthening UK-Israel relations and inspiring remarks left a strong impression on all in attendance”.

The Ministry of Defence was asked to clarify whether it was the INDC which hosted the British military personnel.