Hind Rajab Foundations calls for DOJ to arrest dual Israeli-US citizen attending World Cup for Gaza war crimes
āā
The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a formal request with the US Department of Justice to investigate, arrest, and prosecute Jake Burkons, a dual Israeli-US citizen accused of war crimes and acts of genocide in Gaza. Burkons, who voluntarily enlisted in the Israeli army following 7 October, is currently in the US attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to the legal filing, the rights group is urging federal authorities to prevent his departure from the country and ensure legal accountability under the US War Crimes Act. The criminal complaint targets Burkons' service in the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion, an operational unit heavily implicated in the systematic, controlled demolition of residential neighborhoods, mosques, and medical infrastructure to render Gaza uninhabitable.
Investigators compiled evidence from Burkons' own social media accounts, which showed him geotagged in Khan Yunis and Rafah holding detonation cables inside destroyed civilian properties. The filing notes that these methodical, non-combat demolitions constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and lack any immediate military necessity.
The legal action in Washington follows a similar criminal complaint filed against Burkons by the foundation in Sri Lanka, where the soldier vacationed after his deployment. Rights advocates emphasize that because Burkons is a US citizen operating within US jurisdiction, Washington has an explicit international obligation to try him for war crimes.