Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to impose sanctions on an Israel Defense Forces battalion for allegedly committing human rights violations in the occupied West Bank, according to a report.
The decision to punish the Netzah Yehuda battalion, which would bar the military unit from receiving any US aid or training, is based on incidents that predated Hamas’ savage attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and sparked the Jewish state’s months-long war in Gaza, Axios reported, citing a US official.
The news of the imminent penalties comes after it surfaced that a special State Department panel recommended months ago that Blinken cut off aid to Israel military and police forces following a probe into allegations that the units had committed human rights abuses, ProPublica reported.
At a press conference in Italy, Blinken responded to questions about the recommendation and said he had made a decision based on the investigation’s probe.
“You can expect to see them in the days ahead,” Blinken said.
The penalties will mark the first time the United States has imposed sanctions on an Israeli military unit.
