TEHRAN – Recent claims about a significant number of U.S. citizens who perished while combating for the Israeli government during its lethal battle against the people of Gaza have sparked debate.
The Israeli military states that over 23,000 American citizens are presently serving within its forces. The Washington Post also reports that thousands of American soldiers and those with American-Israeli backgrounds are actively participating in Tel Aviv’s devastating war against Gaza. Numerous war crimes have been committed against the Palestinian population during this conflict. The Washington Post further explains that although U.S. citizens constitute less than 2% of the entire Israeli settler population, they account for approximately 10% of all Israeli military fatalities since the initiation of the Israeli ground invasion in the Gaza Strip in late October. The casualty figures are believed to be derived from the U.S. embassy in occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem) and data provided by the Israeli military.
Tel Aviv has been accused of underreporting its casualties in the Gaza Strip to avoid negatively impacting morale, which may suggest that the actual number of U.S. military fatalities in the Strip could be substantially higher. The number of injured U.S. military personnel in the Gaza Strip has not been disclosed, leaving their status unknown. Israeli media have hinted that the regime’s military has experienced thousands of injured soldiers since the ground invasion, potentially implying that many U.S. service members have also been hurt. The United States’ political support and backing for the Israeli regime and its conflict in Gaza have been a matter of public concern. Various forms of U.S. military assistance to the regime, such as supplying arms, deploying aircraft carriers to the region to protect the Israeli government from potential additional fronts, or using U.S. drones to surveil Gaza, have been well-documented. This has led to accusations of direct U.S. complicity in Israeli war crimes against Palestinians.
However, the involvement of American soldiers in Gaza has been shrouded in mystery and high levels of secrecy, with the White House frequently discussing six “American hostages” held in Gaza but never mentioning “American soldiers” fighting there. The Washington Post spoke to the families of U.S. service members who were killed while fighting for the Israeli regime, while other news outlets have also reported on this issue. Activists have questioned the potential involvement of U.S. citizens in Israeli or war crimes committed against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since last October. Many on social media are calling for those participating in the war on Gaza to be held accountable and face trials.
James Zoabi, an American academic of Lebanese descent, raises the question of whether there are any limitations on the involvement of American citizens in the war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli army in Gaza. In a social media post, Zoabi highlights the presence of numerous Israeli residents with American citizenship who commit atrocities against Palestinians.
An American national interviewed by the Washington Post remarked that it becomes increasingly clear why former U.S. Air Force airman Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire while chanting “Free Palestine” outside the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. Reports suggest that Bushnell possessed confidential information about the presence of American forces in Gaza who were involved in the massacre of Palestinians.
Another former acquaintance of Bushnell stated, “He died to shed light on the horrors of the genocide in Gaza and the complicity that we (Americans) share as military members.” The United States plays a significant role in the devastating Israeli war on Gaza, which has so far led to the deaths and injuries of at least 100,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children. The American support for the regime, including soldiers in Gaza, enables the regime to inflict death, injury, and starvation upon Palestinians without consequence.
