During the first week of September, an ELNET delegation of senior defense officials, military strategists, journalists, legal experts, and advisers from the UK, the U.S., France, Canada, Australia, and Romania travelled to Israel to gain first-hand understanding of Israel’s security challenges eleven months into the war with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. For some, this was their first time in Israel.
The delegates met with high-level Israeli officials, IDF representatives, as well as survivors and families of hostages. Thanks to ELNET, this was the first time since October 7th that a foreign delegation entered the Gaza Strip. The primary goal of the delegation’s program was to explain to these senior European experts Israel’s challenges in the war against Iran and its proxies.
Among the top military experts were General Sir John McColl, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and former Lieutenant Governor of Jersey; Brigadier General (ret.) Dr. Marius- Dumitru Crăciun, former commander of the Romanian Army’s Special Forces; and Army Corps General Bernard de Courrèges d’Ustou, the Inspector General of Finance at the General Inspectorate of Finance of France. Other military officials included Brigadier General (ret.) Serge Labbé, former Plans and Policy Advisor at NATO and Deputy Chief of the KFOR Joint Implementation Commission (2000-2001); Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan and advisor on terror to the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; as well as Major Andrew Fox, former officer of the Parachute Regiment and Special Forces Support Group and current senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Meetings with Israeli Leaders
The delegation met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and with Brig. Gen. (res.) Dror Shalom (Policy Director at the Ministry of Defense). The Prime Minister welcomed the delegation, expressing gratitude for their visit and then diving into an in-depth briefing on the multi-front nature of the ongoing conflict. He asked the group for advice on how to better advance Israel’s objectives and explained the strategic importance of controlling the Philadelphi Corridor.
According to Netanyahu, Hamas’ geographical proximity poses the most immediate danger to Israel’s population, making it critical to dismantle the terror organization now. He also highlighted Iran’s influence over its regional proxies, stressing the vital role of European support in navigating this complex situation.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant focused his briefing on Hezbollah, Israel’s northern enemy. He explained the complexities of urban warfare, particularly in densely populated areas, stating his support for a deal to return Israeli hostages.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Dror Shalom emphasized the importance of comprehensive military strategies, not only in Gaza but also in the north, warning that this conflict may be the most severe Israel has experienced in recent history.
Gaza Visit and Military Briefings
The delegation crossed into the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom border crossing. ELNET was able to obtain special permission from the IDF to bring an entire delegation into Gaza, an unmatched achievement. The delegation was briefed by IDF officials in Rafah and at the “Philadelphi” Corridor (border with Egypt). Delegates witnessed the extensive tunnel network Hamas had built beneath the 41 km (25 miles) border.
The delegates were struck by what they saw. They witnessed the IDF’s strict adherence to rules of engagement, as well as Hamas’ military arsenals often concealed inside homes, and the damage Hamas has inflicted to its own people.
Reflecting on the Philadelphi Corridor issue after the visit to Gaza, Lt. Col. (ret.) Jeff Tiegs, former commander in the Delta Force Unit, the US Army’s elite counter-terrorism unit, praised the IDF’s performance in the war thus far, stating that relinquishing control of the corridor would be a tactical and strategic mistake. Col. Richard Kemp supported this point of view, emphasizing that Hamas’ reliance on the corridor as a lifeline made it crucial for Israel to maintain control. “I would not give up the advantage for which soldiers have already been killed,” he added. Kemp praised the IDF’s effectiveness in eliminating Hamas terrorists and dismantling their infrastructure, all while keeping the cost to Israel’s forces remarkably low.
ELNET also organized visits to the massacre sites of October 7th, including Kibbutz Kfar Aza, the Nahal Oz army base, and the Nova music festival. Numerous delegates were deeply shaken by the horror of the attacks on Israel, vividly portrayed in Hamas’ own videos and in the testimonies of wounded soldiers, survivors, and families of hostages. The horror of these attacks, they said, exceeded the cruelty they had encountered in other combat zones, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo.
Before heading South, Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus briefed the group on the underground tunnels and the efforts the IDF has made to neutralize the threat posed by them, as well as the security failures that led to the October 7th attacks.
Strategic, Diplomatic, and Legal Discussions
The delegates engaged in high-level discussions on Israel’s diplomatic, political, and strategic challenges in the ongoing war against Hamas. The delegation was briefed by MK Yuli Edelstein, Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and had a meeting with the Shabak.
In addition, the delegation was briefed on the legal challenges Israel has encountered since the start of the war. Col. Nadav Minkovsky, Head of the IDF’s International Legal Affairs Department, provided insights into the painstaking processes Israel follows to ensure its military operations comply with the rules of engagement under international law. At the Military HQ, the group met with an Israeli Air Force representative to discuss the critical role air power plays in Israel’s defense strategy.
Former head of the Mossad Intelligence Directorate, Zohar Palti, joined the group for a gala dinner, providing a detailed analysis of Israel’s security situation. Palti emphasized that Israel, as a nation, must undergo both internal and external healing to build resilience for the future.
Reflecting on the meetings, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Marius-Dumitru Crăciun expressed serious concern over the lack of awareness in Romania and Europe about the war. Crăciun pointed out that critics misunderstand the battle environment: “This is not a 20th century battle environment—this is the 21st century, it is completely different. The IDF is using tactics that have never been used before. Once, you had to put boots on the ground—now you have to put boots under the ground too. There is no way you can finish this until you clear everything above and below ground. Hamas had ten years to prepare it.”
Call to Action for Global Support
Delegation member Michael Pregent shared his thoughts on social media, emphasizing that Israel is fighting Iran and its proxies on behalf of the rest of the world, despite facing isolation, criticism, and the wilful ignorance of many in the West. Reflecting on the visit to Gaza, he stated: “[The] world needs to support Israel in this fight. What you’re hearing in the media is just not accurate. There is no genocide. There is no indiscriminate targeting of civilians. There is no use of humanitarian aid as starvation.” He added that “[Israel is] adhering to international law when it comes to the IDF. They have the gold standard for terrorist-to-civilian casualty ratio. It’s one to one.”
As the delegates return to their respective countries, they carry with them the knowledge and first-hand experiences that will inform global conversations about Israel’s defense strategy, the broader regional threat posed by Hamas and Hezbollah, and the need for European support to ensure Israel’s security.
Shortly after the visit, General Sir John McColl wrote in the Times of London: “I came away from the trip satisfied that the IDF’s operations and rules of engagement were rigorous compared to the British Army and our Western allies.“
ELNET is proud to have enabled and organized this groundbreaking and impactful visit.
Watch the video on the delegation below: