The Israeli government has called on the United States to reconsider its apparent plan to sanction an Israeli battalion. The prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to “fight with all his might” against such actions.
Earlier, the American media “Axios” reported that Washington was considering sanctioning the Israeli battalion “Netza Yehuda” for alleged human rights violations in the occupied West Bank. According to the publication, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is expected to announce the sanctions in the coming days.
This will be the first time the country has taken such measures against an Israeli military structure. Axios sources familiar with the matter said the measures would exclude members of the battalion from receiving U.S. military support or training.
However, the Israeli government reacted with outrage to this news. Prime Minister Netanyahu defined the idea as “height of absurdity” and “moral low point”.
The sanctions will be imposed because of alleged violations in the West Bank. Among them and the death of 80-year-old Omar Asad – a Palestinian of American origin. He died of cardiac arrest after being handcuffed and gagged by Israeli soldiers during a search in the West Bank in January 2022.
The US then called for a “thorough criminal investigation and full accountability” in the case. Israeli military forces later said they regretted Assad’s death and that the commander of the Netza Yehuda Battalion would be “reprimanded” for what happened. They added that the two soldiers would be disqualified from serving in senior positions for two years but would not be held accountable.
All the alleged violations took place before the Hamas attack on Israel and the Gaza war, which began in October 2023. The particular Israeli battalion has been linked to right-wing extremism and violence against Palestinians. Israel withdrew the unit from the West Bank in December 2022 and has since deployed it mainly in the north of the country.
This is likely to be another challenge in relations between Washington and Tel Aviv, which have suffered in recent months because of the war in Gaza. US President Joe Biden publicly criticized Netanyahu for the actions of the Israeli army and even gave him an ultimatum that he could reduce military support.
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