The Spanish newspaper El Mundo confirmed that the Israeli army is using a number of mercenaries contracted with private military companies to carry out military services, some of which are linked to indirect support for the war on Gaza.
The newspaper spoke to one of them, former Spanish army soldier Pedro Diaz Flores Corrales, 27, who participates as a mercenary to support Israeli forces and previously participated in Iraq and the Russian-Ukrainian war and moved to Israel.
El Mundo explained that a "small army" of mercenaries operates inside Israel and has been hired to carry out special missions.
Profitable business
The former Spanish army soldier told El Mundo that his work with the IDF is very financially profitable, earning 3900,<> euros per week, not to mention compensation for other supplementary tasks.
Corrales was hired as a mercenary by Raven and Global CST, two private military companies contracted by the IDF to hire mercenaries to carry out military missions.
The mercenary soldier told the Spanish newspaper that he had moved to war in Ukraine out of respect for his "principles" to defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion, but with Israel his goal was purely material.
He claimed that he was not directly involved in the war, and his role – and that of his fellow mercenaries – was limited to providing security support to IDF convoys in the Gaza Strip.
Corrales added that one of his duties is also to ensure the security of checkpoints and control access to the borders of Gaza as well as Jordan, and he is currently working in the occupied Golan.
Small army of mercenaries
Corrales stressed that there are many private military companies operating in Israel, and they share tasks with each other.
El Mundo said she had seen photos of Pedro surrounded by mercenaries of various nationalities, including French, Germans, Albanians and even U.S. Marines or special forces members who fought in Iraq, Afghanistan, Mali or Kosovo.
The Spanish newspaper added that these elements constitute something like a small army that moves from one war to another and has become a professional in this task, and may be tasked with fighting at times, or supporting combat forces.
Corrales explained that his exit from Ukraine came because he no longer receives his salary regularly, along with poor protections.
El Mundo stressed that Corrales no longer uses humanitarian arguments in what he is now doing in Israel as he did in Ukraine, where he said he went to confront Russian injustice, and he does not currently refrain from justifying the Israeli option.
When asked by the newspaper how he felt supporting an army targeting Gaza's civilian population, the Spanish mercenary replied that he held Hamas responsible, reiterating that he was here for the money, "so I came, they pay very well, they provide good equipment and the work here is quiet."