Official data obtained by an Israeli non-governmental organization reveals that nearly 200 individuals from Southeast Asian nations were enlisted in the Israeli military as of March 2025. This group includes 111 Filipinos, 71 Thais, four Vietnamese, two Singaporeans, and one Indonesian.
These numbers are part of a larger dataset of over 50,000 service members holding multiple passports. The United States had the largest contingent of dual nationals with over 13,000. Other significant groups included those from France, Russia, Germany, and Ukraine.
Asian nations represented in the data also included 201 individuals with Indian passports, 76 Japanese, and smaller numbers from Hong Kong, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The IDF data has prompted questions regarding the legal liabilities of these foreign nationals in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs stated it has no substantiated information that any Singaporean was fighting for the IDF, noting the country does not allow dual citizenship for adults. Indonesia, which lacks diplomatic ties with Israel, is investigating the report of an Indonesian individual, with its foreign ministry ready to coordinate follow-up measures. Thailand, which allows dual citizenship, has not yet responded to the data release, though in late 2023 it clarified that some individuals of Thai and Israeli parentage served in reserve forces, distinct from migrant workers.
Experts suggest that increased global movement and faster information flow via the internet are contributing factors to the rise of foreign fighters. Israeli law mandates military service for citizens at age 18, with ongoing liability for reserve duty.