The State Department announced on Monday that the United States has determined that five Israeli security force units committed serious human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank prior to the October Hamas attack.
Israel has taken corrective actions with four of these units, reducing the likelihood of US sanctions. Talks are ongoing regarding the fifth unit. The specific units involved were not disclosed, nor were details of the abuses or the measures taken by the Israeli government.
However, it’s been suggested that the fifth unit is a part of the army, possibly identified as the Netzah Yehuda battalion. This battalion, mainly composed of ultra-Orthodox Jews, has been stationed in the West Bank since 2022.
The incidents in question occurred before the October 7 Hamas attack and were unrelated to Gaza. While Israel has provided additional information about the fifth unit, the US is still evaluating whether to withhold military assistance.
This development comes amidst increasing pressure on the Biden administration to hold Israel accountable for its actions in the conflict with Hamas, particularly concerning civilian casualties.
