The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has formally filed a denunciation with Sri Lankan authorities against an Israeli-American soldier who is currently present on the island after committing war crimes in Gaza.
Jake Burkons, a dual national of Israel and the United States, served in Company D of the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion, which is part of the 7th Armoured Brigade of the Israeli army.
According to HRF, Burkons, who is from Texas, voluntarily enlisted in the Israeli army in October 2023 and was subsequently deployed to Gaza, where he participated in military operations.
HRF has established that Burkons is currently present in Sri Lanka, where he is travelling after his deployment. The Brussels-based legal body urged Sri Lankan authorities 'to take appropriate legal action in accordance with their obligations under international law.’
‘States have a duty to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute individuals suspected of committing grave breaches of international humanitarian law. The presence of such individuals on their territory engages their responsibility to act,’ stated the organisation.
HRF found that the specific battalion was a central operational unit in the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure across Gaza. HRF has documented at least 65 demolitions carried out by the unit between October 2023 and mid-2025.
These attacks have targeted residential buildings, mosques, agricultural land and industrial facilities. The army unit has also been implicated in attacks on hospitals and in the unlawful detention and ill-treatment of civilians.
‘These actions form part of a broader pattern of conduct aimed at rendering large parts of Gaza uninhabitable and facilitating territorial fragmentation,’ stated HRF.
HRF’s investigation revealed that Burkons is directly connected with at least one incident of unlawful destruction in Khan Younis in October-November 2025.
According to the investigation, Burkons published visual evidence showing his presence in Gaza, including in Khan Younis and Rafah. In one post, he was reported to have been holding a detonation cable inside a destroyed civilian building alongside fellow soldiers, ‘indicating active participation in a controlled demolition.’
In another instance, Burkons is reported to have shared footage of the demolition operation, geotagged to Khan Younis and marked with his unit’s badge.
The organisation stated that ‘such destruction of civilian property is unlawful when not justified by concrete and direct military advantage’ under international law.
The Hind Rajab Foundation further stated that the acts documented in relation to Burkons and his unit may constitute war crimes under international law, including extensive destruction of property not justified by military necessity, intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects and attacking or bombarding undefended buildings and civilian areas.
The battalion’s targeted structures 'did not meet the criteria of military objectives at the time of their destruction’ and the demolitions were 'carried out as a part of a broader policy of territorial control and forced displacement.’
The Hind Rajab Foundation is a legal body that advocates for justice for crimes against humanity, war crimes and human rights violations committed by the Israeli state against Palestinians. It is named after Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israel in January 2024.
Sri Lanka has in recent years become a popular destination for Israeli soldiers following their military service, with tourist hubs such as Arugam Bay, Mirissa and Weligama seeing a steady influx of visitors, including those recently deployed in Gaza.
Their presence has at times generated tension with local communities, with concerns raised over Israeli-run businesses catering primarily to Hebrew-speaking clientele, contributing to perceptions of exclusion, as well as cultural frictions over conduct, noise and the display of Israeli symbols in shared spaces.
Social media posts by visiting soldiers, including imagery from Gaza or expressions of support for ongoing military operations, have further unsettled residents and visitors alike, prompting rights groups to warn that, in a country long criticised for failing to hold its own alleged perpetrators of wartime abuses to account, such travel risks further entrenching Sri Lanka’s reputation as a permissive environment for those accused of serious violations of international law.
