For the first time, the Israeli military has officially disclosed comprehensive data revealing the significant presence of dual-nationality personnel within its ranks. According to information obtained through a Freedom of Information request by NGO Hatzlacha, a total of 50,632 active soldiers hold citizenship in at least one additional country alongside their Israeli nationality.
The breakdown shows soldiers from Western nations constitute the majority of foreign passport holders. United States citizens form the largest contingent with 12,135 soldiers, followed by France (over 6,100) and Russia (approximately 5,000). The United Kingdom contributes 2,069 soldiers, a figure that substantially revises previous estimates that focused only on approximately 54 ‘lone soldiers’ without Israeli citizenship.
Additional significant representation comes from Germany, Ukraine, Romania, Poland, Canada and several Latin American countries. The data also identifies a smaller number of personnel holding citizenship from Arab states including Yemen, Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria and Algeria.
Notably, the documentation reveals 4,440 soldiers maintain two foreign citizenships in addition to Israeli nationality, while 162 personnel possess three or more foreign passports.
This disclosure comes amid increasing international legal scrutiny as these dual-national soldiers have participated in military operations in Gaza since October 2023. The scale of foreign participation has triggered examinations under universal jurisdiction principles, which enable national courts to prosecute individuals for alleged war crimes regardless of where violations occurred.
Major human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called for independent investigations and urged governments to examine the conduct of their nationals serving in the Israeli military. Legal initiatives have already commenced in several countries, with Canadian authorities opening probes into suspected war crimes potentially involving dual-national reservists. Rights groups in Belgium and the United Kingdom have similarly filed complaints targeting hundreds of individuals holding European citizenship.
Legal experts note that some foreign nationals, including Britons, could face exposure under domestic legislation that restricts participation in foreign military forces under certain circumstances. The International Court of Justice’s January 2024 warning of a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza has intensified calls for states to investigate whether their citizens participated in violations of international law.
The conflict, which has resulted in over 72,000 Palestinian fatalities and 171,000 injuries according to the report, has destroyed approximately 90% of civilian infrastructure across Gaza.