The United States is considering imposing sanctions against an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) battalion accused of violating human rights in 2022, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The sanctions, which could be announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as early as this week, would mark the first time the U.S. has placed sanctions on Israeli military units, potentially further straining the relationship between the two allies amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Although U.S. officials have not identified the unit facing sanctions, Israeli leaders and local media have named it as the Netzah Yehuda battalion, established nearly 25 years ago. Some of the battalion's members have been linked to abuse of Palestinians, and the group faced harsh criticism from the U.S. in 2022 after a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man, Omar Assad, was found dead after being detained at a West Bank checkpoint.
An autopsy conducted by Palestinian officials found that Assad suffered a heart attack caused by "external violence" and had underlying health conditions. The autopsy also noted bruises on his head, redness on his wrists caused by being bound, and bleeding in his eyelids after being tightly blindfolded. The Israeli military investigated the incident and found that soldiers assumed Assad was sleeping when they cut off the cables binding his hands, and when they saw he was unresponsive, they failed to offer medical help and left the scene.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed to oppose the sanctions, stating, "If anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on a unit in the IDF, I will fight it with all my might." Other Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and War Cabinet member Benny Gantz, have also condemned the expected sanctions, with Gantz calling them a "mistake" that would harm Israel's legitimacy during a time of war.
The sanctions, which would be levied under the Leahy Law, would prohibit the battalion and its members from receiving any type of training or assistance from the U.S. military. The law prohibits providing military assistance to individuals or security force units that commit gross violations of human rights and have not been brought to justice.
Two U.S. officials familiar with the sanctions told The Associated Press that the announcement could come as early as Monday and that five units were investigated, with four acting to remedy the violations they were accused of committing. The U.S. is also considering sanctions against other Israeli military and police units alleged to have committed human rights violations against Palestinians, according to two U.S. sources who spoke to The Times of Israel.
While the practical impact of the sanctions may be limited, as Israel could still use its own funds to purchase weapons for the Netzah Yehuda battalion, U.S. sources predict that other Western countries may follow Washington's lead in targeting units that rights groups have found to repeatedly and unjustly target Palestinians.
The IDF has stated that the Netzah Yehuda battalion is currently participating in the war effort in the Gaza Strip, conducting operations in accordance with the IDF Code of Ethics and with full commitment to international law. The army said it would review the consequences if the unit is sanctioned.
The potential sanctions come amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Israel over the latter's actions in the West Bank and the ongoing war in Gaza. On Friday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on an ally of Israel's national security minister and two entities that raised money for Israeli men who allegedly committed settler violence, in addition to sanctions placed on five settlers and two unauthorized outposts earlier this year.
