The State Department revealed on Monday that Five units of the Israel Defense Force were involved in “serious breaches of human rights” outside the Gaza Strip before the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds.
Israel has “remediated” four IDF units, according to a spokesperson, while an undisclosed fifth unit is still under consideration for potential penalties from the US, such as the cessation of military training, equipment, and aid.
“We continue to be in consultations and engagements with the Government of Israel. They have submitted additional information as it pertains to that unit,” Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department said to reporters.
According to the Leahy Laws, the United States is prohibited from providing support to military groups that have been accused of breaching laws related to human rights.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on April 19 that he had reached “conclusions” regarding allegations of human rights abuses in the West Bank, sparking rumors of impending sanctions.
Nonetheless, in a correspondence sent last week to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Blinken disclosed that the agency had obtained fresh details regarding the fifth division, commonly believed to be the Netzah Yehuda battalion — composed mainly of ultra-Orthodox nationalist Jews.
On Monday, Patel emphasized that the State Department was not ready to officially declare any penalties.
“The government of Israel has submitted additional information. We are currently reviewing it,” Patel stated. “We’re engaging with them in a process and we’ll make a decision from there when that process is complete.”
Patel was evasive regarding the sequence of events and the timing of when a definitive choice on penalties would be determined.
“The standard of remediation is that these respective countries take effective steps to hold the accountable party to justice. And that is different on a country-by-country basis,” Vedant Patel noted..
Patel emphasized that the event “does not impact the overall security partnership” between the United States and Israel.
Journalists interrogated Patel regarding the State Department’s adherence to the Leahy Laws by allowing Israel to address the issue, leading the spokesperson to reject claims of the Jewish state receiving “preferential treatment” from the US.
The Netzah Yehuda battalion faced allegations of misconduct regarding the passing of 78-year-old Palestinian American Omar Assad, who suffered a heart attack in January 2022 after being apprehended at an Israeli military checkpoint.
An IDF inquiry that followed determined that Assad’s passing was “a serious and regrettable occurrence, stemming from a lapse in morality and inadequate judgment by the troops” who failed to examine Assad after he fainted.
Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson strongly criticized the Biden administration for considering imposing sanctions on the IDF unit.
Johnson mentioned to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt last week that there was talk of this before our “aid” bill was actually presented for a vote in the House, I mean, just a few hours earlier. This was in reference to a $26 billion proposal aimed at aiding Israel and the Palestinians.
“And I’ll tell you what I did, Hugh, and I don’t, I guess I’m breaking news here,” Johnson continued. “No one knows this. But I called the White House immediately and talked with Jake Sullivan, and Secretary of State Tony Blinken was overseas at the moment.”
“I am very hopeful that they won’t try to proceed on that. If they do, we’ll intervene,” he added.
“On this investigation, our position is clear. We continue to believe that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over the Palestinian situation,” Vedant Patel concluded.
