Five Israel Defense Force units were implicated in “serious breaches of human rights” outside the Gaza Strip prior to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which claimed hundreds of lives, according to information released by the State Department on Monday.
Four IDF units have been “remediated” by Israel, a spokesperson said, and a fifth unit that isn’t publicly known is still being considered for possible sanctions from the US, like the termination of military aid, supplies, and training.
“We continue to be in consultations and engagements with the Government of Israel. They have submitted additional information as it pertains to that unit,” according to State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel, she told reporters.
The Leahy Laws state that the US is not allowed to support military organizations that have been charged with violating human rights laws.
Rumors of approaching sanctions were sparked by Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s announcement on April 19 that he had reached “conclusions” regarding claims of violations of human rights in the West Bank.
However, Blinken revealed in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) last week that the agency had received new information about the fifth division, which is widely thought to be the Netzah Yehuda battalion, which is primarily made up of ultra-Orthodox nationalist Jews.
Patel stressed on Monday that the State Department was not yet prepared to formally announce any fines.
“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.”
Regarding the order of events and the time frame for making a final decision about penalties, Patel was evasive.
“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..
The incident “does not impact the overall security partnership” between the US and Israel, Patel emphasized.
Patel was questioned by journalists about the State Department’s compliance with the Leahy Laws by letting Israel handle the matter. As a result, the spokesperson denied that the Jewish state was getting “preferential treatment” from the US.
When 78-year-old American Palestinian Omar Assad was captured at an Israeli military checkpoint in January 2022 and later suffered a heart attack, the Netzah Yehuda battalion was accused of misbehavior.
Assad’s death was described as “a serious and regrettable occurrence, stemming from a lapse in morality and inadequate judgment by the troops” in an IDF investigation after Assad passed away without being checked over.
The Biden administration came under heavy fire last week from House Speaker Mike Johnson for considering sanctions against the IDF unit.
Last week, Johnson told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that this had been discussed even before our “aid” bill was actually brought up for a vote in the House—I mean, a matter of hours. This was in reference to a plan to help Israel and the Palestinians with $26 billion.
“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.
The announcement from the State Department came in response to rumors that the International Criminal Court may file charges of war crimes against Israeli officials for their conduct during the Gaza War against Hamas.
“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.
