Despite the concern over foreign international aid in helping ease or at the very least, protect innocent civilians from the growing deadly conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group in Gaza Strip, there are American volunteers who have joined thousands all over the world who have offered to train and serve alongside Israelis in the country's Israeli Defense Forces. NBC News said that the around 2,000 Americans serve as "lone soldiers" in the IDF. Two have already perished from the latest skirmish between the quarreling factions.
New Hampshire-based Adam Harmon said that he moved out from the US to join the IDF in 1990, and although he has drawn some curious stares from local soldiers, he and the rest of the foreigners believed that their service to Israel was out of patriotism for the country just like they have for the US.
"The bottom line is, I'm part of the Jewish people. We decided that instead of going away we were going to donate something to the country. We were Jewish, and we believe in the Jewish country. At the end of the day, it's our nation," Harmon said.
According to director Josh Flater of the Lone Soldier Center, there are around 6,000 lone soldiers serving in the IDF today, and sizable contingents of them came from France, Russia and Argentina, apart from the US.
The two who have died serving in the IDF on Sunday in Gaza in the first major ground battle were 24 year-old Max Steinberg and 21 year-old Nissim Sean Carmeli. Aside from the two American nationals, there were 13 Israeli soldiers and at least 65 Palestinians killed.
As the death and injury toll increases in the past 14 days of fighting, the United Nations as represented by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has intensified its efforts to urge both parties involved in the Gaza strip conflict to end the fighting and begin talking.
