The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a formal denunciation with Sri Lankan authorities against Jake Burkons, an Israeli-American soldier accused of involvement in war crimes during military operations in Gaza.
Burkons, a dual national of Israel and the United States from Texas, served in Company D of the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion, part of the Israeli army’s 7th Armoured Brigade. He voluntarily enlisted after the events of October 7, 2023 and was subsequently deployed to Gaza.
HRF investigators documented at least 65 controlled demolitions carried out by Burkons’ 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 the unlawful detention and ill-treatment of civilians.
The foundation said it has established Burkons’ direct connection to at least one incident of unlawful destruction in Khan Younis during October-November 2025.
HRF confirmed that Burkons is currently present in Sri Lanka, travelling after completing his deployment. The organisation urged Sri Lankan authorities to take legal action consistent with international humanitarian law, emphasising that states have a duty to investigate individuals suspected of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
“The presence of such individuals on their territory engages their responsibility to act,” HRF stated.
Sri Lanka is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions and has obligations under international humanitarian law to investigate suspected war criminals within its jurisdiction. The complaint adds a new dimension to the country’s engagement with the broader Middle East conflict beyond the energy and diplomatic dimensions.
