Reports of growing military cooperation between Israel and Somaliland have increased sharply in recent months, following Israel’s reported recognition of Somaliland’s independence in December 2025.
According to the report, 50 soldiers from Somaliland’s special forces returned to Hargeisa in May 2026 after undergoing advanced military training in Tel Aviv. This marks another sign that the relationship between the two sides is moving beyond quiet contacts and into a more open strategic partnership.
The report also says an official Israeli delegation visited Hargeisa and presented Somaliland’s president with a fragment of an Iron Dome interceptor as a symbolic gesture of defense cooperation. The two sides are reportedly discussing possible air-defense cooperation against missile threats from the Houthis in Yemen.
Somaliland has also announced its intention to open an embassy in Jerusalem, while Israel is expected to open an embassy in Hargeisa.