The U.S. State Department has identified five units within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that it alleges are responsible for "gross violations of human rights." Four of the units have taken steps to address the violations, but the U.S. is still engaging with Israel regarding the fifth unit.
The U.S. State Department has announced that it has found five units of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responsible for "individual incidents of gross violations of human rights." The alleged violations occurred prior to the October 7 attacks by Hamas militants on southern Israel and did not take place in Gaza.
State Department principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters at a press briefing that four of the units have "effectively remediated" the violations, while the U.S. continues "in consultations and engagements with the government of Israel" on the remaining unit.
"They have submitted additional information as it pertains to that unit. And we're continuing to have those conversations consistent with the memorandum of understanding that we have with the government of Israel that was entered into in 2021," he said.
"When conclusions are made under actions that fall under the auspices of the Foreign Assistance Act, we are required to consult with officials from the government of Israel, and that is ongoing. We are engaging with them in a process, and we will make an ultimate decision when it comes to that unit when that process is complete."
Patel noted that "the remediation standard is consistent and it is the same for all countries." When pressed by a reporter, Patel admitted that the fifth unit is still eligible to receive U.S. arms at this stage.
"When we're talking about the Leahy Law, what we are talking about our unit and component restrictions, when they are found in violation, it is not have bearing on the broader security relationship that we may have with a country, especially a country like Israel, in which we have a longstanding security relationship. The provision of bulk assistance that's gone back many, many years," Patel added.
A senior State Department official told Fox News that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has raised the matter with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The Leahy Law prohibits the U.S. government from providing assistance to units of foreign security forces that have been found to have committed gross violations of human rights. The law requires an automatic cutoff of aid to a military unit if the State Department finds credible evidence that it has committed gross abuses.
Israel has said that its security forces investigate abuses and its courts hold offenders accountable. However, rights groups have accused the U.S. of shirking rigorous investigations of allegations of Israeli military killings and other abuses against Palestinians to avoid invoking the Leahy Law.
The development comes as Israeli officials are growing concerned that the International Criminal Court (ICC) could soon issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials over charges related to the war in Gaza. The ICC may accuse the senior government figures of pursuing an excessively harsh military response to Hamas' attacks on Israel and preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
