A British man fought for the Israeli army in Gaza when war crimes appear to have been committed, a four-month investigation by Declassified has found.

Jonathan Burman, who is in his mid-20s and from Manchester, posted photographs on his Instagram account showing him fighting in Khan Younis early in the conflict.

Newly discovered images show Burman standing in front of a primary school in Gaza that had been set on fire, as a fellow soldier smiles beside him.

They were posted on his private Instagram account in January 2024, six weeks after the Israeli army violently occupied the school.

The photographs were shared exclusively with Declassified by a source seriously concerned by Burman’s behaviour.

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It comes as a UN commission said that any Israeli soldier who fought in Gaza after October 2023 should be considered a war crimes suspect.

Analysis of Israeli army documents links Burman to a unit that repeatedly destroyed residential buildings in Gaza.

A former Israeli soldier who served in the same battalion as Burman and left Gaza on ethical grounds told Declassified that it was an “absolute apocalypse”.

“You could just go and do whatever you want…You could burn down those houses and have no consequences whatsoever,” he said.

Under the fourth Geneva Convention , which Israel has ratified, the “extensive destruction…of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly” constitutes a war crime.

An Israeli military spokesperson claimed that weapons were found in the school in Burman’s photographs but could only produce video footage from a raid on a different school in Gaza.

Burman did not respond to a request for comment.

Jonathan Burman wearing a Manchester United scarf in Gaza. (Photo: Obtained by Declassified UK)

The burning school

Burman’s photographs are believed to have been taken at Al-Farabi primary school in the Bani Suheila district of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to six witnesses and experts interviewed by Declassified .

Palestinian civilians who sheltered at the school early in the war told Declassified they believed it would provide safety as it was run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Satellite imagery from November 2023 shows the school’s playground covered in white tarpaulins and the initials “UN” clearly visible on the roof.

However, the civilians said they had to flee the site in mid-December 2023 when the Israeli army moved in.

Ayman Sahmoud, 56, said he and his family sought shelter at the school that month after being forced to flee their home under relentless bombardment and Israeli evacuation orders.

“We left our home with nothing,” he recalled. “We abandoned everything behind us. When we arrived at the school, it was already overflowing with displaced families…We could barely find a place to sleep.”

Sahmoud described the days he spent inside the school as among the hardest of the war. The bombardment, he said, never ceased.

The force from repeated airstrikes at a plot adjacent to the school constantly shook the building. Satellite imagery shows the area around the school was systematically demolished.

“After some time, the Israeli military bombed the school’s main gate,” he said. “Two people were killed right before our eyes. At that moment, we understood the message was clear: we had to evacuate the school completely.”

He said Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets ordering all displaced residents to leave immediately, forcing his family and many others to flee once again, this time toward the city of Rafah, leaving behind most of their belongings.

According to Sahmoud, some families had nowhere else to go and remained inside the school until Israeli forces surrounded the area and compelled them to leave.

Drag the slider to see Al-Farabi school (centre) before and after it was occupied by Israeli troops.

‘Survived by a miracle’

Randa Abu Assi, 42, remained inside the school until the very last moments in December 2023, despite the intensifying bombardment around it.

She said the airstrikes targeting the nearby plot of land were so intense that shrapnel tore through the school building, injuring several displaced people sheltering inside.

“My foot was struck by shrapnel,” she said. “My son, Bahaa, 21 years old, was also wounded by shrapnel that remains lodged in both of his legs to this day.”

Randa explained that many families gradually left the school, while she and a small number of displaced people remained until staying there became impossible.

“We fled under fire and survived by a miracle,” she said, adding that they later learned Israeli forces had stormed the school on 12 December 2023.

Arabic news reports corroborate her account of Israeli troops entering the school on that date.

Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Abu Omar wrote on Telegram the following day: “Last night, [Israeli] occupation forces released the citizens they had detained and arrested from Al-Farabi School in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Yunis, while keeping three individuals in custody.

“Those released had been subjected to heavy gunfire inside the school and recounted the brutality and harshness of the occupation soldiers’ treatment; they were blindfolded, forced to strip off their clothes in the cold weather, made to walk long distances barefoot, and subjected to insults and profanity.”

Another journalist, Muthanna Al-Najjar , reported on Telegram that Palestinians detained in the school described “atrocious and brutal treatment” by Israeli soldiers.

Randa Abu Assi (right) tells Declassified what happened at Al-Farabi school as Israeli troops advanced. (Photo: Shaimaa Marwan / Declassified UK)

Geolocation

The school is beyond the ‘Yellow Line’ in Gaza, meaning it is still occupied by the Israeli military following last year’s ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

This made it too dangerous for Declassified to visit the school in person, however Sahmoud, Abu Assi and a third witness all confirmed that the building seen in Burman’s photograph was Al-Farabi School.

The third witness, Duha Abu Assi, 28, said her family sheltered there later in the conflict, until they were forced to evacuate in May 2025.

Her brother, Hamada, was killed by Israeli forces as he left the school while trying to find food as a famine unfolded in Gaza.

She provided a photograph taken of her brother before his death. The background shows part of the walls of Al-Farabi school, along with some of the same distinctive graffiti in Burman’s photo.

Along with verification by multiple witnesses in Gaza, Declassified showed the photo of Burman posing at the school to three geolocation experts, who all identified it as Al-Farabi school.

Ryan Geitner from Airwars matched Burman’s images to Al-Farabi school. (Photo: Declassified UK)

They used a video filmed by Reuters in April 2024 of a wrecked school in Khan Younis with the same graffiti seen in Burman’s photo and matched the unusual layout of that school to satellite imagery of Gaza.

Ryan Geitner from Airwars said: “Reviewing footage from Reuters and the photos posted to social media, we have a high level of certainty that this is the same location.

“Satellite imagery indicates that the school suffered major damage in the months after November 2023, signs of which are visible in both sets of material.”

Jonathan Burman among destroyed residential buildings in Khan Younis. (Photo: Obtained by Declassified UK)

Different school

Jonathan Burman and the Israeli Embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment about his photographs, but Declassified put our findings to the IDF’s international press desk.

In a phone call, an IDF spokeswoman referred us to a bulletin the army had issued on 13 December 2023 about the 55th Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion.

It said “A terrorist cell operating inside a school in Khan Yunis was elimintated [sic] by the IDF…During the operation, the troops engaged with a terrorist cell that fired at the troops with firearms and RPG style anti-tank missiles. The troops killed the terrorists during the battle.

“In the area of the school, the troops located long-range rockets and an underground combat compound. Furthermore, IDF troops directed an IAF [Israeli Air Force] strike on the compound, and additional observation and control centers belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization.”

The spokeswoman included a link to “video footage of the activity in the school”.

Airwars reviewed the video for Declassified and geolocated the footage to a different school, 1.9km north east of Al-Farabi, called Imam Muhammad bin Saleh Al-Uthaymeen private school.

The IDF press office did not explain why Burman was pictured at al-Farabi school.

It means the IDF has not provided any evidence to explain or justify why Al-Farabi school was in flames when the photographs of Burman were taken there.

Further analysis by the Hind Rajab Foundation of where Burman’s unit was deployed in Gaza suggests he may not have been stationed at the school until 8 January 2024.

This would suggest the school was set alight several weeks after the IDF had cleared it of Palestinians.

Under the Geneva Convention, the “extensive destruction of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly” constitutes a war crime.

‘A wild west’

The damage to Al-Farabi school is not the only incident of concern that Burman might have been involved with.

Another photo he posted and captioned “Khan Yunis” shows him on one knee with a rifle in his hand, amid the rubble of residential houses with a bed strewn on its side and a partially buried toddler bike.

His boots are a shade of red, a colour associated with Israeli paratroopers. The IDF’s press office indicated to Declassified that Burman was from the 55th Reserve Paratrooper Brigade, which is known as “the tip of the spear”.

This assessment was confirmed by the Hind Rajab Foundation, who analysed Israeli army documents and found evidence suggesting Burman was in the 55th Brigade’s 66th Battalion, B company.

Yuval Green served in this same battalion as a medic. While he was in a different company and does not recall meeting Burman, Green has important insight into the battalion’s mindset.

The 66th Battalion’s commander Ofir Adani gave a speech before they entered Gaza in which he told his men: “I want you to be angry. I want you to rage. I want you to have a deep sense of revenge. Anyone who messes with us should die. He and his family. And his relatives. And everyone who supported him.”

Green remembers hearing this speech at the time and explained: “When you look at the atmosphere of Israel after the 7th October, everything went nuts. People have been apathetic towards the suffering of Palestinians for so long, they had no idea what was going on in Gaza. And the way people spoke after this was just insane. And they’re speaking about killing all the Gazans.

“Some of the people just really are driven by crazy, insane religious ideas. They’re extremists who believe that Jews should live everywhere around ancient Israel. And this was just an opportunity for them to kill as many Gazans as they can and kick them out and get their lands. They’re saying this quite clearly.”

Former Israeli soldier Yuval Green refused to participate in burning down civilian buildings in Gaza. (Photo: Declassified UK)

Green said that as well as Adani giving several speeches like this, Ezra Yachin , a 98-year-old who was involved in a Zionist militia’s 1948 Deir Yassin massacre of Palestinians, gave a speech to his company before they entered Gaza.

“This guy comes to us, a group of soldiers, and he’s just telling the story of how he massacred villagers…and no one blinks an eye. And I think this shows you very very well what type of atmosphere we’ve had before we went into Gaza. The writing was on the wall.”

Although we do not have a recording of Yachin’s speech, there is footage from another incident where this “motivational speaker” told soldiers: “Erase them, their families, mothers and children. These animals can no longer live.”

When asked how he felt seeing photos of Jonathan Burman in front of the burning school, Green said he “felt awful. [It] really takes me back to one of the worst times of my life. This destruction is just so difficult to see.

“Look at their smiles. It’s just, you know, that’s the first time they’re burning down a building. For them, it’s some type of a crazy experience. And they don’t think about the consequences because it’s a place without rules.”

When asked if burning a school could be justified had the IDF found weapons there, Green responded: “I personally don’t think so. You know, I don’t. Is it helpful to burn down a school? Ever?”

Jonathan Burman posted multiple photos of himself at Al-Farabi school in Gaza. (Photo: Obtained by Declassified UK)

While Green did not personally see schools being attacked, he did see widespread damage to residential properties. “Fifty days after we went into Gaza, they’re telling us to burn down the houses we were at.

“And I go to my commander and ask him, why are we burning down those houses? And he has no good answer. Absolutely no good answer.

“If you were to destroy a house in London, you live in a country of law. You live in an organized country. No one can just go and burn down the house.

“But this war zone is a wild west. No rules. Absolute apocalypse. So you could just go and do whatever you want. You can go and steal whatever you want from those houses. You could burn down those houses and have no consequences whatsoever.

“And I went to him and I told him, if we’re burning down those houses, I’m leaving the next day. I’m not willing to be a part of it. This is the last straw. And, that’s what happened. They burnt down the houses. I went back, and this was it.”

Jonathan Burman celebrates new year in Gaza. (Photo: Obtained by Declassified UK)

Burman’s war

Despite the 55th Brigade’s apparent pattern of destruction, Burman’s photos on Instagram show him relaxing, laughing, playing musical instruments and enjoying food and drink with other soldiers.

On 31 December 2023, he posted a picture of him in his military uniform sitting on an armchair in what appears to be the ruins of a house, with the caption “happy new year”. The location he places is the “Gaza Strip”.

He reflected on his time in the military on 31 January 2024 in an Instagram post where he said “I’ve been out of Gaza for a few days now.”

Israeli Army Radio reported that the 55th Brigade had been withdrawn from Gaza on 28 January 2024, with footage emerging on social media that day apparently showing them driving out of the strip.

As well as fighting in Gaza, he appears to have fought in Lebanon and Syria as well. On 23 November 2024, he posted a picture looking over some valleys, locating it as Lebanon.

Jonathan Burman in Lebanon. (Photo: Obtained by Declassified UK)

In another post from the next day, he is seen sitting at a balcony with his weapon by his side, sipping a coffee. “Always time for a coffee”, reads the caption, making clear the photo was taken in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, a post on 6 October 2025 shows him in Syria. The timing of his deployments are consistent with the 55th Brigade.

His involvement in Gaza has ostensibly not hindered his ability to return to Britain and watch his favourite club. On 17 May this year, his social media showed he attended a match at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s home ground.

Burman seemingly grew up in Manchester, attending Altrincham Grammar School for Boys until graduating in summer 2018. He moved to Israel in 2019 and joined the IDF.

Jonathan Burman joining the Israeli army paratroopers. (Photo: Obtained by Declassified UK)

‘Almost confessional’

Burman is among more than 2,000 British nationals who served in the Israeli army during the genocide in Gaza, as recently revealed by Declassified . The UK government does not track British nationals that served, and returning soldiers have not been questioned about their activities.

The Metropolitan Police recently declined to investigate 10 British nationals accused of committing war crimes in Gaza, before making a U-turn and reopening a probe into four of them.

More than 25,000 people have signed a letter calling for the UK government to track the movements of Britons who have served in the Israeli army, screen them at ports of entry, and support thorough war crimes investigations.

The public letter has been signed by prominent human rights experts, politicians, activists, lawyers, journalists, including Zack Polanski and Jeremy Corbyn.

Green told Declassified : “When I look outside of Israel now, I see many people furious with Israel. And for good reason.

“It’s also easy from their perspective to confuse between supporting Palestine and supporting the end of the suffering in Gaza and the West Bank and actually supporting terror.

“But I say, please don’t choose to support the violence. What happened on the 7th October has been one of the biggest traumas of our life. It has started this new horrible wave of violence. This is not the solution. Resisting in this way is not the right solution.”

UN commissioner Chris Sidoti. (Photo: Lev Radin)

This means Palestinians must rely on international institutions to deliver them justice.

Chris Sidoti is an Australian human rights lawyer who serves on the UN’s Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In this role he has worked alongside Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay.

Sidoti told us: “The methodology that Declassified UK has used is exactly the methodology that we use in conducting our own investigations.

“We have found that there are very large numbers of digital material published by Israeli soldiers or soldiers serving with the Israeli forces about their exploits.

“The boastfulness of these soldiers is quite incredible but they produce material like the material that you describe that put themselves at places where war crimes have been committed or at least serious events have occurred that give rise to the possibility of war crimes, crimes against humanity and post it openly on social media accounts.

“So that information is important information, it’s almost confessional information and in many cases it is confessional. I note that you’re not saying this person is guilty of war crimes, we don’t say that either, we say that the evidence is sufficient to support further investigation and prosecution where warranted. I think that’s exactly correct.”

Sidoti said the Met police’s war crimes unit should now be looking into Jonathan Burman, commenting: “There is the obligation that when this person is within the jurisdiction of that state there should be an investigation and prosecution when warranted.”

Additional reporting by John McEvoy and Alex Morris .

The post Revealed: The British man who fought for Israel in Gaza appeared first on Declassified UK .