The Israeli army has called up approximately 130,000 reservists, including tens of thousands of dual citizens, sparking a legal dispute over their countries of origin’s involvement in operations in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli law requires dual citizens to serve in the military even if they reside abroad, while their countries (the United States, Canada, France, Great Britain, and Australia) are signatories to the Geneva Conventions and the Genocide Convention, which legally oblige them to prevent participation in violations.
The International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that member states must refrain from any support for the continued occupation of Gaza and other territories.
UN experts have warned that the service of dual citizens in the Israeli army could constitute “direct complicity” in genocide. Some countries (the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) have laws prohibiting enlistment in foreign armies, but they often exempt or ignore Israel.
In Canada, the Federal Police has launched investigations into alleged war crimes against dual citizens. In Great Britain and Belgium, cases have been filed with the International Criminal Court and the national police against hundreds of Israeli soldiers. International law experts emphasize that states’ failure to prosecute does not absolve them of responsibility, but may even constitute “tacit complicity” in the crimes.
Also regarding foreigners serving Israel in Lebanon, there was a scandal surrounding the release of a Lebanese national working for Israel. Mohieddine Hasna was released by Judge Mounir Suleiman at the Military Court of Cassation. It was discovered that Hasna had provided his Mossad handler with Hezbollah pagers and radio frequencies.
It’s believed that the same information was used by Israel to kill and wound hundreds of Lebanese men and women. When the military court sentenced him to 15 years in prison, Hezbollah rejoiced. But the agent was ultimately released. The man’s father is said to have met with political officials to broker his son’s release, even boasting about having recently met with President Joseph Aoun.
Hezbollah calls it injustice because Hasna, a Lebanese agent, gave Israel access to Lebanese WiFi networks, the same networks that can help Israel map every single home and identify its residents.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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