Ottawa Silent on Whether It Joined “Israeli” Military Conference on Gaza War

By Staff, Agencies

Canada’s Defense Minister has refused to confirm whether Ottawa participated in an “Israeli”-organized military conference dedicated to examining the Gaza genocide, despite “Israeli” authorities openly listing Canada among the attendees.

Asked at the Halifax International Security Forum whether Canada had taken part in the “Israeli” entity’s International Seminar for Lessons Learned from the War on Gaza, Minister David McGuinty declined to give a direct answer, even as “Israel” had already published the list of participating states.

McGuinty said only that “Canada is monitoring and participating in discussion in what might happen when the ceasefire might transition into a formal end to the war,” adding that this was all he could share publicly.

On Sunday, the “Israeli” military confirmed it was hosting the week-long seminar examining what it called its “two-year war against Hamas in Gaza.”

According to the “Israeli” statement, the event brought together commanders and senior officers from numerous foreign armies “to learn from the [‘Israeli’ military’s] experience over the past two years.”

Countries listed as attending included Canada, the US, the UK, Germany, Finland, India, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Estonia, Japan, Morocco, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia.

The military said the gathering aimed to deepen cooperation, familiarize participants with different operational doctrines, exchange battlefield insights, and reinforce understanding of “Israeli” military conduct.

Delegates were shown the entity’s extensive use of AI targeting systems, robotics, cyberwarfare capabilities and coordinated strike methods used throughout the devastating campaign in Gaza — a war that has martyred more than 69,500 Palestinians and wounded over 179,000. Participants also witnessed the widescale destruction across the enclave, including entire communities erased near the Gaza boundary.

The Halifax International Security Forum [HISF], founded in 2009 by Canada’s Department of National Defense and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, continues to serve as a central annual venue for Western defense and political officials to discuss emerging global security challenges.