Asians, you likely have a fellow citizen fighting for Israel in Gaza
Key Takeaways
Based on the IDF data, here are the Asian passport holders recorded as serving:
- Indian: 201
- Filipino: 111
- Japanese: 76
- Thai: 71
- Hong Kong: 9
- Korean: 9
- Chinese: 7
- Vietnamese: 4
- Taiwanese: 3
- Nepalese: 2
- Sri Lankan: 2
- Singaporean: 2
- Indonesian: 1
If you are in Asia, chances are someone from your country has served in the Israel Defense Forces during the Gaza conflict.
Official figures obtained through Israel’s Freedom of Information Law show more than 480 Asians were among over 50,000 Israeli service members holding dual or multiple nationalities as of March 2025.
Nearly 200 of them were from Southeast Asia, according to data secured by Hatzlacha, an Israeli volunteer emergency medical service NGO. The list includes 111 Filipinos, 71 Thais, four Vietnamese, two Singaporeans and one Indonesian recorded as serving in the Israeli military.
Across Asia more broadly, the numbers are also notable: 201 Indian passport holders, 76 Japanese, nine each from Hong Kong and South Korea, seven from China, three from Taiwan, and two each from Nepal and Sri Lanka.
There have been no reported convictions of dual nationals over Gaza-related crimes so far, though complaints have been filed in several countries.
In Singapore, the Ministry of Home Affairs said it was aware of reports that two Singaporeans fought with the IDF but had no substantiated information confirming this. Singapore does not allow dual citizenship for adults.
Indonesia’s foreign ministry said it could not immediately confirm the reported case of an Indonesian national but would coordinate with relevant agencies.
Thailand, which permits dual nationality, does not criminalise foreign military service in general circumstances.
Does your country have a national fighting for Israel?
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
