The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a request for prosecution to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) against Jake Burkons, an Israeli-American dual national, based on evidence of his involvement in war crimes and acts of genocide committed in the Gaza Strip. Jake Burkons is currently in the US where he is attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
This filing follows a criminal complaint filed against Burkons by the HRF in Sri Lanka as Burkons vacationed in the country last month.
Jake Burkons served in Company D of the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion, part of the 7th Armoured Brigade of the Israeli army. He voluntarily enlisted following the events of 7 October 2023 and was subsequently deployed to Gaza, where he took part in military operations extensively documented by HRF investigators.
Jake Burkons An Israeli-American Suspected War Criminal is Now in the United States Attending The World Cup
A Battalion of Systematic Destruction
The 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion has emerged, through extensive documentation, as a central operational unit in the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure across Gaza. While nominally tasked with engineering functions such as mine clearance and fortification, its activities in practice have consisted of the systematic demolition of civilian areas.
HRF has documented at least 65 controlled demolitions carried out by the battalion between October 2023 and mid-2025. These operations targeted residential buildings, mosques, agricultural land, and industrial facilities. The unit has also been implicated in attacks on hospitals and in the unlawful detention and ill-treatment of civilians.
Jake Burkons served in the Israeli army's 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion— HRF has documented at least 65 controlled demolitions carried out by the battalion
These actions form part of a broader pattern of conduct aimed at rendering large parts of Gaza uninhabitable and facilitating territorial fragmentation, including through the creation of military corridors such as the so-called “Morag Axis†in southern Gaza.
Direct Involvement of Jake Burkons
HRF's investigation has established Jake Burkons' direct connection to at least one incident of unlawful destruction in Khan Younis in October–November 2025.
Burkons himself published visual evidence on his social media accounts showing his presence inside Gaza, including in Khan Younis and Rafah. In one instance, he is seen holding a detonation cable inside a destroyed civilian building alongside fellow soldiers, indicating active participation in a controlled demolition. In another, he shared footage of a demolition operation, geotagged to Khan Younis and marked with his company's insignia.
Controlled demolitions are highly methodical operations requiring prior entry into buildings, placement of explosives, and withdrawal under secure conditions. As such, they are incompatible with active combat scenarios and strongly indicate the absence of immediate military necessity. Under international humanitarian law, such destruction of civilian property is unlawful when not justified by concrete and direct military advantage.
Legal Qualification of the Acts and Legal Action
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Given that Mr. Burkons is currently present in the territory of the US and an US citizen, HRF submitted that the US has both the jurisdiction and legal obligation to prosecute him for:
·      War crimes under 18 U.S.C. § 2441, namely
o  Extensive destruction of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. Geneva Convention IV Article 147; 18 USC §2441(c)(1).
o  The destruction or seizure of the enemy’s property, not imperatively demanded by the necessities of war. The Hague Convention II (1899) Regulations: Art. 23(g); 18 USC §2441(c)(2).
o  Attacking or bombarding, by whatever means, towns, villages, dwellings or buildings which are undefended. The Hague Convention II (1899) Regulations: Art. 25; 18 USC §2441(c)(2).
·      Direct perpetration of genocide 18 U.S.C. § 1091.
The available evidence indicates that the targeted structures did not meet the criteria of military objectives at the time of their destruction. Their demolition appears instead to have been carried out as part of a broader policy of territorial control and forced displacement, subjecting the Palestinian people to conditions of life intended to cause their physical destruction.
HRF requested that the U.S. Department of Justice:
·      Immediately open a criminal investigation into Mr. Burkons based on credible, publicly available, and verified evidence;
·      Pursuant to an investigation, issue a warrant for his arrest, pursuant to Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and 18 U.S.C. §§ 2441 and 371;
·      Take Mr. Burkons into custody without delay, and commence prosecution before a competent U.S. federal court; or, in the alternative, prevent Mr. Burkons from leaving U.S. jurisdiction pending a full investigation into his alleged crimes.
·      Alert immigration and border authorities to prevent flight and ensure lawful detention pending trial;
·      Comply with Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which mandates that States Parties: “shall be under the obligation to search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered to be committed, such grave breaches, and shall bring such persons, regardless of their nationality, before its own courts.â€
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Jake Romm, HRF's Representative in the United States, called on U.S. politicians to take action, saying that “The War Crimes Act was passed to prevent all war criminals, without regard to nationality, from finding safe harbor in the United States. When U.S. citizens go abroad to commit war crime and genocide, the duty to prosecute becomes even more important. Many of our politicians have decried Israel's genocide in Gaza—with some even correctly calling it by its name. But condemnation is not enough; the perpetrators must be held to account. Now is the time for these politicians to call the arrest of Burkons and all other Israeli perpetrators in U.S. jurisdiction, for these politicians to ensure that the War Crimes Act and the promise of accountability do not become dead letter. The law demands it, the American people increasingly demand it, and, above all, justice demands it.â€
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The U.S. has all of the necessary legal tools at its disposal, and it has an international legal duty to use them.
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Towards Accountability
The case of Jake Burkons is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of conduct by members of the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion and other units operating in Gaza. HRF continues to monitor, document, and pursue legal action against individuals implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Accountability is not optional. It is a legal obligation.
The Hind Rajab Foundation will continue to work with national and international partners to ensure that perpetrators of international crimes are identified, exposed, and brought before competent judicial authorities.
