Thousands of Western nationals joined the Israeli military amid its genocidal war in Gaza, raising questions over international legal accountability for foreign nationals implicated in alleged war crimes against Palestinians.More than 50,000 soldiers in the Israeli military hold at least one other citizenship, with a majority of them holding US or European passports, information obtained by the Israeli NGO Hatzlacha through Israel’s Freedom of Information Law has revealed.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listSince October 7, 2023, Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 72,061 people in military actions that have been dubbed war crimes and crimes against humanity by rights groups.Rights organisations around the world have been trying to identify and prosecute foreign nationals, many of whom have posted videos of their abuse on social media, for their involvement in war crimes, particularly in Gaza.So, what does the first such data reveal about the Israeli military? And what could be the legal implications for dual-national soldiers? An Israeli soldier pushes a Palestinian man while military bulldozers demolish three Palestinian-owned houses in Shuqba village, west of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on January 21, 2026 [Zain Jaafar/AFP]Which foreign nationals enlist most in the Israeli military?At least 12,135 soldiers enlisted in the Israeli military hold United States passports, topping the list by a huge margin. That is in addition to 1,207 soldiers who possess another passport in addition to their US and Israeli ones. Advertisement The data – shared with Al Jazeera by Israeli la …
