As reported by Mark Curtis and Phil Miller of Declassified UK, more than 2,000 British nationals served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which numerous international bodies and legal experts have described as a genocide against Palestinians.
- How many dual and multi‑nationals served in the IDF?
- What does the data reveal about previous estimates?
- Context and reactions: How have officials and experts responded?
- Supporting details and broader background
- Implications and future developments: What could happen next?
- Summary of confirmed developments
According to Declassified UK, this figure is based on official data released by the IDF in response to a Freedom of Information request filed by Israeli lawyer Elad Man of the NGO Hatzlacha and reflects the number of dual and multi‑national citizens in uniform as of March 2025.
The data show that 1,686 British‑Israeli dual nationals served in the IDF, alongside 383 individuals who held British, Israeli and at least one additional nationality, placing the total number of Britons in the Israeli military at 2,069 during the Gaza campaign.
According to Declassified UK’s analysis, these Britons formed part of a much larger group of more than 50,000 IDF personnel holding Israeli citizenship plus at least one other nationality, underlining the extent to which foreign nationals were embedded in Israel’s armed forces during the war.
Declassified UK reports that the largest contingents of dual and multi‑national soldiers came from the United States, Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, with Britons constituting one of the significant Western cohorts serving in the IDF.
Before this new disclosure, Declassified UK notes that public attention focused mainly on so‑called “lone soldiers” – foreign nationals without close family in Israel – and that a Knesset Research and Information Center report counted just 54 such “lone soldiers” from the United Kingdom as of August 2024, a far lower number than the newly revealed dual‑national total.
According to Declassified UK, the fresh figures therefore substantially revise estimates of British involvement in Israel’s military operations in Gaza by capturing those who possess Israeli citizenship in addition to British or other passports, rather than only non‑Israeli “lone soldiers.”
The detailed breakdown obtained by Declassified UK covers all IDF service members with multiple nationalities and indicates that British‑linked soldiers are part of a broader pattern of enlistment by dual nationals from a range of Western and post‑Soviet states.
How many dual and multi‑nationals served in the IDF?
As reported by Declassified UK, the Freedom of Information response from the IDF lists a total of more than 50,000 service members who held Israeli nationality along with at least one other citizenship at the time of the Gaza campaign.
According to Declassified UK, within this overall figure, the IDF recorded 1,686 individuals with both British and Israeli citizenship, making them British‑Israeli dual nationals serving in the armed forces.
Declassified UK further states that 383 additional soldiers held British, Israeli and a third nationality, meaning that these individuals fell into the category of multi‑nationals with three or more passports.
The outlet reports that Britons were only one segment of the multi‑national force: other sizeable contingents came from the United States, Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, along with smaller cohorts from a range of other countries.
According to Declassified UK’s breakdown, the total of over 50,000 dual and multi‑nationals reflects a longstanding practice whereby citizens of the Israeli diaspora, or children of emigrants, retain or acquire Israeli nationality and are then eligible for military service.
Declassified UK notes that the IDF figures refer to those in service as of March 2025, meaning the data encompass individuals who served during the height of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the outbreak of war in October 2023 and into subsequent phases of the conflict.
What does the data reveal about previous estimates?
According to Declassified UK, prior public estimates of British participation in the IDF were largely based on the narrow category of “lone soldiers” and therefore significantly underestimated the true scale of UK‑linked involvement.
As reported by Declassified UK, a Knesset Research and Information Center paper relying on earlier, more limited data recorded just 54 “lone soldiers” from the United Kingdom serving in the IDF as of August 2024.
Declassified UK explains that those earlier figures excluded dual nationals who hold Israeli citizenship and therefore did not capture British‑Israeli citizens or Britons with multiple passports who serve as regular conscripts or reservists.
According to Declassified UK, the new IDF data effectively confirm anecdotal accounts from British citizens serving in Israel’s forces, some of whom previously suggested that the number of Britons in uniform ran into the hundreds or thousands.
Declassified UK notes that one British‑Israeli reservist interviewed by The Times several years earlier had estimated that “hundreds, if not thousands” of Britons were fighting for Israel, an assessment now broadly in line with the official multi‑nationality figures disclosed to Hatzlacha.
The outlet reports that the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) declined to comment on the new Declassified UK findings but confirmed that it does not itself systematically collect data on the number of British nationals serving in the IDF.
Context and reactions: How have officials and experts responded?
According to Declassified UK, the UK Foreign Office’s refusal to comment on the specific figures, combined with its admission that it does not track the number of Britons serving in foreign militaries such as the IDF, has raised questions among legal experts and campaigners about oversight and accountability.
As reported by Declassified UK, legal specialists consulted by the outlet said that the presence of more than 2,000 Britons in the IDF during the Gaza campaign raises serious concerns under UK domestic law and international humanitarian law, particularly in light of allegations of war crimes and genocide in the territory.
According to coverage by Press TV, Declassified UK’s findings have intensified debate in Britain about whether nationals who fight with foreign forces accused of grave breaches of international law should face investigation or prosecution upon their return.
Press TV reports that critics argue London has taken a more permissive stance toward Britons serving in the IDF than toward those who joined other armed groups or foreign militaries, a disparity they say could have implications for the application of terrorism and war crimes legislation.
According to Press TV’s summary of the Declassified UK report, the revelation that Britain has one of the larger Western contingents of dual‑national soldiers in Israel’s army has also prompted renewed scrutiny of the UK government’s political and military relationship with Israel during the Gaza war.
Declassified UK notes that rights groups and some legal commentators have called for clearer guidance from the British government on whether service in the IDF during operations in Gaza could expose UK nationals to liability, particularly if international courts or inquiries later determine that Israeli forces committed genocide or other atrocity crimes.
Supporting details and broader background
As reported by Declassified UK, the FOI‑derived data cover IDF service members with dual or multiple nationalities as of March 2025, providing a rare official snapshot of how many foreign‑linked soldiers were formally part of Israel’s armed forces during the Gaza campaign.
According to Declassified UK, the NGO Hatzlacha, which secured the data through Israel’s freedom of information regime, has previously litigated transparency issues against Israeli authorities and publishes information relevant to public accountability and governmental conduct.
Declassified UK states that multi‑national soldiers in the IDF include both immigrants who obtained Israeli citizenship and the descendants of Israelis or Jews abroad who hold the right to citizenship and are eligible for conscription or voluntary enlistment.
The outlet reports that, beyond the United Kingdom, some of the largest dual‑national cohorts in the IDF consist of citizens from the United States and major European states, reflecting decades of close ties between Israel and Western diaspora communities.
Press TV, summarizing the Declassified UK findings, notes that the revelation comes as international pressure grows over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, including cases brought before the International Court of Justice and ongoing investigations by international bodies into alleged war crimes.
According to Press TV, the reported scale of British participation in Israel’s forces during the Gaza campaign could become a factor in debates over the UK’s obligations under international law, including duties to prevent genocide and ensure that its nationals do not contribute to serious violations.
Declassified UK adds that the Foreign Office has maintained a policy of not routinely monitoring the foreign military service of UK citizens, which means that the government often relies on external reporting, foreign official data, and individual cases rather than its own comprehensive tracking.
According to Declassified UK, this lack of systematic data collection has been criticized by some lawyers and campaign groups who argue that it hinders the ability of British authorities to assess whether citizens’ overseas military activities are compatible with domestic and international legal obligations.
Implications and future developments: What could happen next?
As reported by Declassified UK, the disclosure of more than 2,000 Britons serving in the IDF during the Gaza campaign is expected to fuel calls for formal inquiries in the UK into the extent of British involvement in foreign military operations where grave human rights abuses are alleged.
According to legal experts cited by Declassified UK, the new data could prompt demands for the Crown Prosecution Service and UK police to clarify how they will assess potential criminal liability for war crimes or other international offences allegedly committed by British nationals while serving in foreign armed forces.
Press TV notes that campaigners are likely to pressure the British government to issue clearer policy statements or guidance on participation in foreign militaries implicated in serious human rights violations, possibly including restrictions, reporting requirements or warnings to prospective recruits.
According to Declassified UK, the figures may also feature in parliamentary debates and committee inquiries, where MPs could question ministers about whether the UK intends to gather more systematic data on nationals serving abroad, particularly in conflict zones where atrocity crimes are alleged.
Declassified UK reports that the issue intersects with ongoing legal and diplomatic developments surrounding the Gaza war, including proceedings at the International Court of Justice and any future international or domestic investigations into specific incidents involving IDF units.
Press TV suggests that if international courts were to find that Israel committed genocide or other grave offences in Gaza, attention could turn to the role of dual‑national soldiers, including Britons, in those operations and to the responsibilities of their home states under international law.
According to Declassified UK, the UK government’s current stance—acknowledging that it does not track how many nationals serve in the IDF while declining to comment on the newly revealed figures—leaves unresolved questions about how it will respond if further evidence emerges of British involvement in alleged violations.
Summary of confirmed developments
According to Declassified UK’s investigation, based on data released by the IDF to Israeli NGO Hatzlacha, at least 2,069 British nationals served in Israel’s armed forces during the Gaza campaign, including 1,686 British‑Israeli dual nationals and 383 Britons with three or more nationalities.
The data place Britons within a larger pool of more than 50,000 IDF soldiers who held Israeli citizenship plus at least one additional nationality during the conflict, highlighting the significant presence of dual and multi‑nationals in Israel’s military.
Previous publicly available figures had identified only 54 “lone soldiers” from the UK, meaning the new information substantially revises upwards the known extent of British involvement in the IDF during operations widely described as genocidal in Gaza.
The UK Foreign Office has confirmed that it does not keep official statistics on how many nationals serve in the IDF and has declined to comment on the new findings, while legal experts and campaigners cited in Declassified UK and reflected in Press TV’s coverage say the scale of British participation raises serious legal and political questions that may shape future debates and investigations.
