Israeli soldiers and Palestinian protesters clash near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip as seen from the Israeli side, September 23, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
The U.S. State Department disclosed on Monday that it identified five units of the Israeli military as responsible for significant violations of human rights in incidents occurring outside of Gaza prior to the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hamas in October.
Deputy spokesperson for the State Department, Vedant Patel, informed reporters that four of the units have taken effective measures to address the violations, while Israel has provided additional information regarding the fifth unit. Discussions between the U.S. and the Israeli government regarding this matter are ongoing. Patel clarified that the identified violations did not occur in Gaza and declined to provide specific details regarding the nature of the violations, the units involved, or the remedial actions taken.
Patel emphasized that the U.S. intends to maintain its arms sales to these units unaffected. The State Department’s findings come amidst heightened scrutiny of Israel’s military actions, particularly in light of the significant loss of Palestinian lives in Gaza, with approximately 34,500 reported casualties, including numerous women and children. The Gaza Strip has witnessed extensive destruction, and severe food shortages have raised concerns of a potential famine. Israel’s military offensive was launched in response to an attack by Hamas on October 7, resulting in casualties and the capture of hostages, according to Israeli reports.
Earlier in the month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that he had reached conclusions regarding allegations of Israeli violations of U.S. laws prohibiting military assistance to entities or units implicated in gross human rights violations. The Leahy Laws, established by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy in the late 1990s, prohibit the provision of military aid to individuals or security units implicated in gross human rights violations that remain unaddressed.
A source familiar with the matter informed Reuters on Friday that the U.S. had received new information from Israeli authorities concerning a specific unit of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that was reportedly under scrutiny for human rights violations in the West Bank. In light of this information, the U.S. is assessing whether the unit is taking steps towards remediation.
The unit in question, the Netzah Yehuda battalion, was established in 1999 to accommodate the religious convictions of ultra-Orthodox Jews and other religious nationalist recruits within the army.
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