US to impose sanctions on Israeli military unit over rights abuses in the West Bank – Report

By Palestine Chronicle staff

The decision to sanction the Netzah Yehuda unit follows a recommendation made months ago by a special State Department panel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is about to announce sanctions against the Israeli army’s ‘Netzah Yehuda’ battalion over human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank, US news website Axios reported, citing three US sources are familiar with the matter.

This move is significant because “it would be the first time the US has imposed sanctions on an Israeli military unit,” according to Axios.

The sanctions are expected to ban the battalion and its members from receiving any form of U.S. military assistance or training, as outlined in a 1997 law authored by then-Senator Patrick Leahy, the newspaper said.

The Leahy Act prohibits the provision of Department of Defense training programs to foreign security, military, and police units credibly alleged to have committed human rights violations.

The decision to sanction the Netzah Yehuda unit follows a recommendation made months ago by a special State Department panel charged with investigating alleged human rights abuses under the Leahy Act.

On Wednesday, the investigative website ProPublica published a report revealing that a special committee under the State Department had advised the secretary of state that the United States should limit arms sales to Israeli military units accused of human rights abuses.

Murders, Rapes, Torture – Report Reveals Blinken’s Passivity to Calls to Hold Israel Accountable

“But Blinken has failed to act on the proposal despite growing international criticism of the Israeli military’s conduct in Gaza, according to current and former State Department officials,” ProPublica reported.

However, according to Axios, Blinken acknowledged the recommendation during a press conference in Italy on Friday, stating that the decisions were made based on the panel’s research.

“Expect to see them in the coming days,” Blinken said.

Axios further reported that “Blinken’s determination about the Netzah Yehuda unit is based on incidents that occurred before October 7.”

The Netzah Yehuda Battalion, initially formed as a special unit for ultra-Orthodox soldiers, has been widely criticized over the years for its involvement in incidents of violence against Palestinian civilians.

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The battalion was particularly investigated after the death of 80-year-old Palestinian-American Omar Assad in January 2022. Assad was arrested by Netzah Yehuda soldiers at a checkpoint in the West Bank, and he was later found dead after being shot by soldiers handcuffed and gagged.

“Over the years, the unit based in the West Bank became a destination for many ‘Hilltop Youth – young radical right settlers,’” according to Axios.

Israeli reactions

In response to the threatened sanctions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his opposition and stated that sanctions should not be imposed on the Israeli army.

“Sanctions should not be imposed on the Israeli army,” he told

War Cabinet member Gadi Eisenkot also rejected the move, saying on X: “The idea of ​​imposing sanctions on a combat battalion in the IDF is fundamentally wrong.”

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, for his part, labeled the move “absolute madness,” suggesting it is part of a plan “to force Israel to agree to the creation of a Palestinian state,” according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz .

(The Palestine Chronicle)