The charges came ahead of Hamas’ deadly attack on southern Israel on 7 October.
Washington:
The United States appears set to sanction Israeli military forces over alleged human rights abuses in the West Bank, with Israel’s prime minister angrily denouncing the move as “absolutely ridiculous.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at such measures when asked by a reporter in Italy about reports that his department had recommended cutting military aid to Israeli forces involved in violence in the West Bank.
The charges came ahead of Hamas’ deadly attack on southern Israel on 7 October.
Without providing details, Blinken said his department was investigating under a law that prohibits impunity for providing military aid to foreign security units that commit human rights abuses.
He then added: “I think it’s fair to say that you will see the results very soon. I have made my decision; you can expect to see the results in the coming days.”
In late 2022, the U.S. State Department directed embassy staff in Israel to investigate alleged abuses by Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Netzach Yehuda camp in the West Bank.
These include an incident in January 2022 in which a 78-year-old Palestinian American died of a heart attack after being detained.
Although the accusations preceded Hamas attacks and Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza, the suggestion of any sanctions against Israeli forces drew an angry response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“In recent weeks, I have been vocal in my opposition to sanctions against Israeli citizens, including in conversations with senior U.S. government officials,” he posted on social media platform X late Saturday.
“The intention to impose sanctions on a unit of the Israel Defense Forces at a time when our soldiers are fighting a terrorist monster is extremely absurd and morally low. My government will use all means to oppose these moves. “
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant also slammed the possibility of sanctions after discussing the issue with Army Chief of Staff Hertz Halevi.
“The commanders and troops of the Nezhaq Yehuda Battalion are on the front lines – since the war began, they have been working to push Hezbollah forces off the northern border, thwart terrorism in Judea and Samaria, and most recently, he They said their actions were consistent with international law and the values of the Israeli military.
He urged Washington to “withdraw its intention to impose sanctions” on the battalion.
Blinken is expected to announce sanctions on the camp “within days,” the website Axios said, citing three U.S. sources with knowledge of the matter.
The sanctions will prohibit the force from receiving any U.S. military assistance or training, the statement said.
An earlier ProPublica report said a State Department task force recommended in December that Blinken disqualify several military and police forces serving in the West Bank from receiving U.S. aid.
The latest developments came as the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Saturday to provide $26 billion in new emergency aid to Israel.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
