The US State Department has identified five units of the Israeli military as responsible for serious violations of human rights in specific incidents but has decided to continue providing them with US military support.
These incidents occurred outside of Gaza before the current conflict. Israel took corrective action in four of the units, providing "additional information" for the fifth, according to the department.
This means that all five units remain eligible for US military assistance.
Washington is a major military supporter of Israel, providing it with $3.8 billion worth of weapons and defense systems annually.
This announcement marks the first time the US government has made such a determination regarding any Israeli unit.
State Department spokesman Vedant Patel stated that five security force units had committed serious human rights violations. "Four of these units have effectively addressed these violations, which is what we expect from our partners," he said.
"Regarding the remaining unit, we are in ongoing discussions with the Israeli government; they have provided additional information regarding that unit," he added.
The department denies allegations that it yielded to political pressure by continuing military assistance to the unit despite not being able to confirm whether there had been any accountability in the case. "We are engaged in a process with them, and we will make a final decision regarding that unit when the process is complete," Patel said.
All of the incidents are believed to have occurred in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem in recent years.
Under the "Leahy Law" enacted in 1997 by then-Senator Patrick Leahy, a finding that a foreign military unit has committed serious human rights violations can result in the cessation of US military assistance to that unit.
The US government defines torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and rape as such violations when implementing the Leahy law.
Even if such a finding is made, there is an exception to cutting military assistance if the State Department is satisfied that the cases have been addressed and justice has been pursued by the government in question.
The US government claims that Israel has done this, known as "remediation," in four of the five units. However, the department declined to provide any details about the incidents, remediation efforts, the units involved, or evidence supporting the effectiveness of the remediation.
Reports suggest that the unit in question is the Netzah Yehuda battalion, a special unit comprised of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men established in 1999.
Israel investigated the battalion following the death of 80-year-old Palestinian-American Omar Assad, who died after being bound and gagged by soldiers during a search of a West Bank village in 2022.
At that time, the US called for a "thorough criminal investigation and full accountability."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later expressed regret over Mr. Assad's death, stating that a commander would be "reprimanded" and two soldiers would be barred from senior positions for two years, but would not face prosecution.
When asked about reports that an IDF unit would be the first to be designated by the US government under the Leahy Law, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on April 19th, "I have made determinations. You can expect to see them in the days ahead."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to reject any sanctions on the country's military, vowing to "fight it with all my strength," while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz spoke with Mr. Blinken over the phone.
When questioned by the BBC about whether the State Department had delayed or softened its stance on withdrawing military assistance to the fifth unit, Patel stated that officials would make a decision once their consultations with the Israeli government were concluded.