JERUSALEM

Israeli protesters gathered Tuesday outside a major arms exhibition in Tel Aviv, accusing defense companies of using Gaza as a “testing ground” for weapons marketed as “field-proven.”

The demonstration took place outside the Defense Tech Expo 2026, a two-day international defense and security fair being held for the first time at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Center.

Around 20 demonstrators held placards reading “You are using Gaza as a testing lab” and called for an arms embargo, denouncing what they described as war profiteering linked to Israel’s military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.

The protest was organized by an Israeli group that withheld its name citing security concerns. In a statement, the group said it was rallying against “the profits of the arms industry from occupation, apartheid and genocide in Gaza,” and condemning both the companies exhibiting at the event and the foreign buyers attending.

According to the exhibition’s official website, more than 70 Israeli firms specializing in defense and homeland security are showcasing advanced technologies and solutions described as having been “proven in the field.”

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported earlier this month that the expo, organized by the Star Group, is expected to draw dozens of foreign delegations, senior officials and technology investors. The event is held under the auspices of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the Foreign Trade Administration at the Economy Ministry, the Israeli Export Institute and the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce.

The protest comes amid growing scrutiny over the types of weapons used by the Israeli army in Gaza.

In February, an investigative report broadcast by Qatar-based Al Jazeera television said Israeli forces used highly destructive thermal and vacuum weapons during the war, citing testimonies from medics and civil defense officials.

A US-backed ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Oct. 10, halting Israel’s two-year war that has killed more than 72,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.

Since the agreement took effect on Oct. 10, Israeli forces have committed hundreds of violations through shelling and gunfire, killing 603 Palestinians and injuring 1,618 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref