Gunfire cuts through the air as three Ukrainians stand in cover away from fierce fighting in the streets. Apartment buildings are pockmarked with bullets and torn open by explosions.

One filming with a body camera groans and curses in pain as another tends to him, laughing after a close call. The soldiers are not in Russia nor Ukraine but in Gaza embroiled in bitter fighting with Hamas, the Palestinian Islamists who launched an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

The trio are among an estimated 30,000 foreign-born soldiers, the majority from the United States, who are reportedly fighting for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) from at least 30 countries after Hamas's assault left nearly 1,200 Israelis dead (British citizen Corporal Nathanel Young, 20, was among the dead).

Over 100 of those foreign fighters, though the number is likely higher, are British nationals or dual-nationals, with several documenting their involvement in the bloody campaign with war diaries or speaking with the UK press.

Others, such as Levi Simon who filmed himself rummaging through drawers of women's underwear in Gaza, have gained notoriety or documented themselves being involved in potential war crimes.

While according to the IDF, US citizens have accounted for at least 10% of the army's war dead, at least three British nationals have been killed serving in the Israeli army along with dozens of other foreign-born soldiers also perishing.

Related reading: What Gazans Really Think of the War, Who They Blame, and What They Want to Happen Next

Israel's History of Using Foreign Fighters

Foreign fighters have always played a vital if not understated role in the IDF. Before the IDF was officially formed, operating as the Haganah militia during the civil war in Mandatory Palestine, nearly 5,000 foreign fighters from 58 countries served across the fledgling army in 1947.

Largely composed of Second World War veterans, they were prized assets in the war to establish the Jewish state and tipped the balance of the conflict in the First Arab-Israel conflict.

The non-Israeli volunteers who fought were affectionately named 'mahal', an acronym for the Hebrew words 'Mitnadvei Chutz L'Aretz', which translates to 'volunteers from outside the land'.

Related reading: Third Front Opens in West Bank as Israeli Economy Shuts Down After Deaths of Six Hostages

Since then, thousands of foreigners have fought for the IDF in its multiple wars and helped enforce the occupation of Palestinian territories. Recruitment has become more streamlined in the now institutionalised MAHAL programme.

"The indoctrination of foreign members is a process that consists of several stages," said Dr Ali Bakir from the Ibn Khaldon Center for Humanities and Social Sciences at Qatar University.

"It is primarily a proactive process, involving various organisations ranging from tourism initiatives to Israel, educational and counter-terrorism programs and donor campaigns."

The MAHAL programme bypasses the bureaucratic maze of immigration to Israel, offering young Jewish volunteers a chance to fight in the IDF for a short period ranging from four to 18 months. After receiving their mahal visa, they are enlisted with many who lack the means to support themselves being coined as "lone soldiers".

Related reading: Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Talks Limp on as Regional War Looms Ahead of First Anniversary of Hamas Conflict

The MAHAL programme has conditions for eligibility: candidates must be exclusively Jewish and their family cannot live in Israel.

While many have celebrated the new generation of mahal, they have also faced condemnation. This criticism is not new but a few things have shifted.

Discipline has broken down in an increasingly radicalised IDF and much like their native-born comrades, many foreign soldiers have openly revelled in Gaza's destruction.

Others have mocked Palestinian prisoners and been involved in looting homes while many spew the same dehumanising language against Palestinians now widespread...