Five Israeli military units stand accused of committing gross human rights violations, claimed the US State Department. Despite these findings, all flagged units currently remain eligible to receive US military aid. The US and Israel jointly claim that four units have effectively remediated violations, but discussions continue about the remaining Israel Defense Forces (IDF) unit. It should be noted that all alleged violations took place before October 7, and do not pertain to incidents in Gaza.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s spokesperson, Vendant Patel, was questioned regarding if sanctions would be implemented in compliance with the Leahy Law during a press conference. The Leahy Law bars the US from funding foreign security forces implicated in gross human rights abuses. Patel highlighted the government’s deliberate process that eschews haste, and underscored that remediation standards vary based on the country of application.
Exceptions to the Leahy Law stipulates that assistance can be resumed if the Secretary of State reports to Congress that the country’s government is taking effective steps to bring the accused security forces to justice. No such report from Blinken has been made at this point.
Pro Publica reported that unresolved violations by the Israeli Border Police included extrajudicial killings from two years ago among other allegations.
Israel’s response came swiftly, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing the idea of imposing a sanction on an IDF unit as ‘the height of absurdity and a moral low’. Blinken has since met with Israeli war cabinet minister and other top officials. An undisclosed Israel official stated ‘that nothing — not Iran and its proxies, State Department findings, or ICC warrants — will keep Israel from achieving its war aims’, as reported by the Times of Israel.
It’s worthy of note that in the ongoing conflict of Gaza, over 12,300 children have died in the last four months. Additionally, more than 85 percent of the population in Gaza have been displaced by the violence, which has claimed more than 34,000 lives. The survivors now grapple with a collapsed medical system and the looming threat of famine.
The International Criminal Court is currently assessing whether Israel can be held responsible for genocide in Gaza. Meanwhile, US university campuses have witnessed widespread protests against the war. Blinken has re-emphasized that Hamas could alleviate much of the suffering by ceasing hostilities and releasing hostages.