Israel recruits African refugees for Gaza operations in exchange for settled status

Israel is recruiting African refugees for "life-threatening" operations in Gaza in exchange for settled status in the country, sources have revealed.

Defence officials told Haaretz that the project was being conducted under the guidance of legal advisers from the defence establishment in an organised manner.

There are approximately 30,000 African asylum seekers in Israel. They have faced growing pressure from anti-immigrant politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who regularly refers to them as "infiltrators".

One man interviewed by Haaretz, who ultimately chose not to enlist, recounted being approached by a security official to join the war effort. The official explained that after a two-week training period, he would be deployed alongside other asylum seekers.

"I asked, 'What do I get?' even though I'm not really looking for anything," said the man, identified as A.

Read more: Israel recruits African refugees for Gaza operations in exchange for settled status