US accuses Israeli military units of ‘gross human rights violations’ in stunning condemnation of troops during ceasefire negotiations in Gaza

The US has made a damning finding that five units of the Israeli army were guilty of ‘gross human rights abuses’, as US military support for Israel comes under increasing scrutiny during the war in Gaza.

The violations announced Monday by the State Department took place before the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel.

The finding could lead to a suspension of aid to the units under a process known as the Leahy Act.

“After a careful process, we have identified five Israeli units responsible for individual incidents of gross human rights violations,” Vedant Patel, chief spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters on Monday.

“These were all incidents long before October 7 and none took place in Gaza. Four of these units have effectively addressed these violations, and that is what we expect our partners to do,” he continued.

‘It is in line with what we expect from all countries with which we have a security relationship. For any remaining unity, we remain in discussions and discussions with the Government of Israel,” he said.

It provided “additional information” and discussions are continuing, he said.

When pressed, Patel noted that the Fifth Unit could continue to receive U.S. aid, and that overall U.S. support for Israel would continue.

That came on a day when White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly called U.S. support for Israel “iron-clad.”

Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vedant Patel announced the violations

President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday amid tensions over Gaza despite ‘iron-clad’ US support for Israel

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced new questions about campus protests, ceasefire talks and the findings on Israeli units

“When we talk about the Leahy Act, when we talk about our unit and component restrictions, when they are found to be in violation, it has no bearing on the broader security relationship that we can have with any country, especially a country . such as Israel, with whom we have a long-standing security relationship,” he said.

“The provision of bulk aid going back many, many years.”

The Leahy Act, named after former Sen. Patrick Leagy (D-Vt.), bans U.S. funding for a unit when there is “credible information” linking it to gross human rights violations.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Saudi Arabia on Monday negotiating a possible ceasefire in Gaza, spoke about the issue with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Fox news reported.

The finding of human rights abuses comes as Blinken publicly pressured Hamas to accept the latest possible ceasefire that would free hostages and pause Israel’s operation in Gaza.

Jean-Pierre himself exerted new pressure on Monday. “The responsibility indeed lies with Hamas. There is a deal on the table and they should take it,” she said.

But she avoided taking a position on protest camps at universities across the country, even as Columbia University prepared to meet a government deadline for the departure of members of a protest camp.

“Anti-Semitism is hate speech, it is dangerous and abhorrent,” she said.

“It’s a painful moment – ​​we understand that,” she said, adding that “free speech must take place within the law,” she said.

Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized the enforcement process against IDF units, which comes as US officials have repeatedly called on Israel to take into account the health and well-being of civilians in Gaza during its operations there.

“At a time when our soldiers are fighting the monsters of terror, the intention to impose a sanction on a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low point,” Netanyahu wrote on X last week.

But Patel, in his comments on the issue, pointed to a “remediation standard that is consistent and the same for all countries,” as a way for a country to circumvent the ban by taking action against the offending entity.

“This unit has been recognized by the Israeli government for conduct contrary to IDF rules and, as a result, was transferred from the West Bank to the Golan Heights in 2022,” Blinken wrote in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives , Mike Johnson.

That could be a reference to The Netzah Yehuda Battalion, CNN wrote in a report stating that the unit had this deployment in 2022. The unit’s commander was reprimanded after the death of Omar Assad, a 78-year-old Palestinian American who died in detention.