The United States is set to announce sanctions against the Israel Defense Forces 'Netzah Yehuda' battalion for human rights violations in the occupied West Bank. Israeli officials are scrambling to understand the decision, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to fight against the sanctions.
The US decision to sanction an Israeli military unit for human rights violations is significant, marking the first time such action has been taken. It highlights the importance of upholding human rights standards and could have implications for future US-Israel relations.
The US State Department has been investigating alleged human rights violations by Israeli security units, with a focus on the Netzah Yehuda battalion. The decision to sanction the battalion comes after months of deliberation and internal panel recommendations.
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Antony John Blinken is an American government official who served as United States Deputy Secretary of State from 2015 to 2017 and Deputy National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2015 under President Barack Obama.
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The West Bank is a landlocked territory near the Mediterranean coast of Western Asia, bordered by Jordan to the east and by Israel to the south, west and north. The West Bank also contains a significant section of the western Dead Sea shore.
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The United States Department of State, commonly referred to as the State Department, is a federal executive department responsible for carrying out U.S. foreign policy and international relations.
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The 97th Netzah Yehuda Battalion, previously known as Nahal Haredi, is a battalion in the Kfir Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces.
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Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
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The Leahy Laws or Leahy amendments are U.S. human rights laws that prohibit the U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense from providing military assistance to foreign security force units that violate human rights with impunity.
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The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.
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Benjamin Gantz is an Israeli soldier and politician serving as Alternate Prime Minister of Israel and Minister of Defense since 2020.
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The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs, are an ethnonational group comprising the modern descendants of the peoples who have lived in Palestine continuously over the centuries and who today are largely culturally and